Treatment of tooth enamel loss depends on your individual needs. Your dentist may recommend tooth bonding (filling the damaged areas with tooth-colored resins) to protect the tooth and improve its appearance. If the enamel loss is more severe, a crown may be necessary to protect the tooth from further decay.
Repair: Dental Bonding
One treatment option is repairing tooth enamel with dental bonding. Dental bonding involves applying a dental resin to the tooth surface to protect damaged areas and restore the intact surface.
Once tooth enamel is damaged, it cannot be brought back. However, weakened enamel can be restored to some degree by improving its mineral content. Although toothpastes and mouthwashes can never “rebuild” teeth, they can contribute to this remineralization process.
Tooth enamel erosion exposes the inner layers of your teeth to open air and the foods and drinks you consume. This makes your teeth more vulnerable to cavities. In addition, tooth enamel loss can make your teeth more sensitive to heat, cold and sweets. They may also stain more easily.
While there's no way to fully "restore" lost tooth enamel, there are ways you can treat the damaged area and take care of your teeth in other ways to prevent further damage.
As such, no matter how hard the enamel is, it can corrode, erode, and wear away over time. Enamel loss is one of the main causes of tooth sensitivity and eventually, dental decay. When this occurs, your gums will become more susceptible to gum disease.
As the enamel erodes more, your teeth may appear grayish or yellow. Your teeth may begin to appear rounded, develop ridges, and often the gaps between teeth will become more substantial. Eventually, you may notice cracks in the teeth or experience loss of tooth material.
It could be the result of an acidic diet, medication side reactions or just vigorous brushing. Dry mouth, low salivary flow, diet high in sugar and starches, bruxism and friction, acid reflux disease, gastrointestinal problems and even genetics could also be blamed for enamel erosion.
One of the most common signs your tooth's enamel is damaged is sensitivity. You may notice discomfort while eating or drinking something with hot or hot temperatures. The more your enamel gets damaged, the more extreme your sensitivity will become.
Once enamel is destroyed and lost, it cannot be fixed. This often leads to a cavity that will need to be filled by a dentist. Fillings, crowns, veneers, and dental bonding can protect the tooth from further enamel loss and decay, and also improve overall appearance.
If your teeth have already thinned, there are a few treatments that help restore the enamel. Dental bonding, a treatment that involves the application of a composite resin to your teeth, is one option. Veneers are another option for those who are interested.
It cannot regenerate itself, because it is formed by a layer of cells that are lost after the tooth eruption. Conventional treatment relies on synthetic materials to restore lost enamel that cannot mimic natural enamel.
While the enamel can't grow back, it can be remineralized with special tooth repair kits. Certain toothpastes and dental products push calcium and phosphates back into the teeth and harden the enamel. Fluoride plays a powerful role by capturing the calcium and phosphates that acids draw out of the teeth.
The remineralization process usually takes about three to four months to take effect. However, once you begin to better fortify your enamel, you may start to see stronger teeth, experience less sensitivity, and even reveal a whiter smile.
Enamel hypoplasia (enamel defect) is a common medical condition, classified as a developmental dental defect (D3), characterized by a reduction of tooth enamel thickness or poor-quality tooth enamel due to low mineral content.
This is because teeth can become translucent due to the effects of enamel erosion, which is a slow, gradual process. As the enamel wears down and becomes thinner, it begins to lose its natural color. This allows the underlying dentin layer to show through.
Dental veneers are a common solution for weak or lost enamel. For dental patients who want dental veneers, the dentist will first take a mold of their teeth to fabricate the custom veneers.
Visual Inspection and Oral Exam
The first step a dentist will take is to visually inspect your teeth, gums, and the soft tissue of your mouth. Your dentist is looking for any discoloration or damage to your tooth's enamel.
The number of fillings you can get will depend on a few factors, including the size and location of the tooth, the filling material used, and the dentist's skills. However, most teeth can safely have up to three fillings.
Composite fillings are also beneficial because they don't expand or corrode, similar to metal fillings. However, their lifespan is considerably shorter, lasting only five to seven years, than metal fillings lasting over a decade.
If the decay reaches your tooth's main structure, called dentin, then a filling can replace the lost tooth structure after your dentist has cleaned the cavity of bacteria and infection. However, if it reaches the tooth's center chamber, called the pulp, a filling may no longer suffice to address it.
Worn and missing enamel leaves your teeth more susceptible to cavities and decay. Small cavities are no big deal, but if left to grow and fester, they can lead to infections such as painful tooth abscesses. Worn enamel also impacts the appearance of your smile.