You might have noticed a dull aching in your jaw, or you might have noticed that some of your lower teeth appear to be smaller. This could lead to an overbite, increased sensitivity or pain when you eat your favorite chocolate ice cream. Even worse, you could potentially lose your tooth entirely if the proper care isn’t taken to ensure good oral health.
What Causes Tooth Erosion?
There are a number of reasons why your pearly whites are taking a whammy. One of the main reasons is, simply, we eat, causing our teeth to wear down over time.There are medical reasons as well, such as gastroesophageal reflux. This can become serious if it becomes a regular occurrence, such as if you suffer from alcoholism, or if you are pregnant and have morning sickness, vomiting daily.
There’s also bulimia, which drives sufferers to intentionally vomit in an effort to maintain an ideal weight. Those stomach acids sit on your teeth and erode them throughout the day. If you don’t flush your mouth out with water after an episode or brush your teeth right away, it could cause tooth erosion.
Lastly, there are certain lifestyle habits you might have adopted that could be impacting the structure of your mandibles. You could consume an alarming amount of soda or coffee daily and those acids could assault your teeth throughout the day.
That being said, here are three tips to make sure your teeth keep chomping!
Tip 1: Maintain a Consistent Oral Routine
That’s pretty obvious to many – how often does the dentist ask if you are brushing and flossing your teeth twice daily?
However, not everyone follows this easy way of keeping their mouth healthy. You might have a very busy schedule, such as getting the kids ready for school, rushing to work and other duties that eat up our time. But simply setting a reminder in your phone or asking a family member to check in if you brushed or flossed could help combat tooth erosion.
Tip 2: Watch What You Eat!
Of course, this one is easier said than done. Many of us like to eat unhealthy foods, and that’s understandable, especially if our schedules make it difficult to fit in healthy meal prep.
And even if you think you’re eating healthy with a salad, watch what type of dressing you put on it! That vinegar dressing you adore could be contributing to tooth wear.
Keep acidic foods to a minimum to protect your teeth and help ensure that they do not wear down prematurely.
Tip 3: Watch What You Drink!
That obsession with soda or coffee is causing your teeth to be assaulted by acids daily. Make sure to cut back your soda consumption to one can per day. However, if you can’t kick that habit, try to drink water, chew gum with fluoride in it or brush your teeth shortly after sipping your favorite drink.
Want to learn more about how to protect your teeth from wearing out? Call us for more information or to schedule an appointment today.
