{"id":50,"date":"2014-08-06T15:13:09","date_gmt":"2014-08-06T19:13:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/?p=50"},"modified":"2017-11-03T15:10:07","modified_gmt":"2017-11-03T19:10:07","slug":"5-ways-damage-tooth-enamel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/5-ways-damage-tooth-enamel\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways to Damage Your Tooth Enamel"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3><strong><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-51 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/photodune-1161370-man-flossing-his-teeth-xs-267x300.jpg\" alt=\"protect your enamel by flossing - 5 ways to damage tooth enamel\" width=\"267\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/photodune-1161370-man-flossing-his-teeth-xs-267x300.jpg 267w, https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/photodune-1161370-man-flossing-his-teeth-xs.jpg 422w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 267px) 100vw, 267px\" \/>What is Tooth Enamel?<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Tooth enamel is the hard, off-white material on the surface of your teeth. Enamel is essentially a cover for your teeth to protect them from damage while you eat.\u00a0 Additionally, enamel acts as a barrier between hot and cold beverages or food and the roots of your teeth, which are sensitive to temperature changes.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>While it is true that tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body, it is still fragile and easily cracked or damaged. Enamel erosion is also referred to as tooth decay, which causes serious dental problems.<\/p>\n<p>Brushing and flossing regularly are great ways to take care of your teeth, however it\u2019s easy to damage tooth enamel without realizing it! This blog walks you through the five most common ways that people damage tooth enamel. Avoid these behaviors to ensure your tooth enamel is strong and healthy.<\/p>\n<h3>How to Damage Tooth Enamel<\/h3>\n<h4><b>1. Brush Too Often<\/b><\/h4>\n<p>Surprising? Did you think that the more you brush your teeth, the better? That\u2019s not the case! If you brush your teeth too often or too rigorously, you eventually begin to brush the enamel away.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, over-brushing causes your gums to recede, which leads to root sensitivity and potentially <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pointedentalgroup.com\/periodontics.php\">periodontal disease<\/a>. Stick to brushing your teeth twice a day for two minutes \u2013 this will thoroughly clean your teeth but won\u2019t damage your enamel.<\/p>\n<h4><b>2. Use Your Teeth as a Tool\u00a0<\/b><\/h4>\n<p>You may do this more often than you realize. Do you use your teeth to quickly open a package, or open a bobby pin to put into your hair? You may even use your teeth to hold an item to temporarily free up your hands. While this is certainly convenient, it is very bad for your enamel.<\/p>\n<p>Enamel\u2019s protecting abilities are limited to chewing food. Doing anything else with your teeth is risky, and may crack or break your enamel. Even if your enamel doesn\u2019t become visibly damaged, the excessive strain wears down enamel over time.<\/p>\n<h4><b>\u00a03.\u00a0Drink Sugary or Acidic Drinks<\/b><\/h4>\n<p>Most of us are aware that sugary drinks are not good for our health. As dentists, we encourage our patients to keep soda and juice intake to a minimum to protect their enamel and prevent tooth decay.<\/p>\n<p>Many of our patients are not aware that acidic beverages (coffee, red wine, tea) are harmful to tooth enamel as well. The sugar and acid in these beverages eat away the enamel over time, and eventually causes cavities.<\/p>\n<p>Not ready to give up sugary or acidic drinks? Sip from a straw to avoid the beverages being in direct contact with your teeth.<\/p>\n<h4><b>4. Whiten or Bleach too Often<\/b><\/h4>\n<p>It\u2019s perfectly okay to whiten your teeth every once in a while, whether it\u2019s a professional treatment at Pointe Dental Group, or an at-home treatment. However, it\u2019s important to not over-whiten, as the chemicals in the whitening agents can cause gum sensitivity and enamel damage.<\/p>\n<p>If you get your teeth bleached professionally, you should only need to get a touch-up every six months. If you use an at-home kit, limit your use to two times a year.<\/p>\n<h4><b>5. Vomit<\/b><\/h4>\n<p>A majority of people don\u2019t intentionally get sick, however approximately one and half million Americans are bulimic. People with this eating disorder often go through periods of binge eating and purging, which can be extremely harmful to the teeth. Tooth enamel is not meant to withstand stomach acid, and with repeated exposure to the acid, the enamel erodes. If you have any symptoms of bulimia, you should see your doctor as soon as possible.<\/p>\n<p>As you can see, it\u2019s important to take care of your tooth enamel. By doing so, you will have a beautiful, healthy smile for years to come. What are some ways that you take care of your tooth enamel? We\u2019d love to hear from you in the comments section!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pointedentalgroup.com\/contact-us.php\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-612\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-612\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/PDG-CTA-3.jpg\" alt=\"Contact us to set up an appointment\" width=\"600\" height=\"209\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/PDG-CTA-3.jpg 640w, https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/PDG-CTA-3-300x105.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Connect with us!<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PointeDental?ref=hl\">Facebook<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PointeDental\">Twitter<\/a><br \/>\nGoogle +:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/plus.google.com\/b\/114489441167990350943\/114489441167990350943\/posts\">Grosse Pointe<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/plus.google.com\/b\/106780768118751761726\/+Pointefamilydental\/posts\">Shelby Twp<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-51 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/photodune-1161370-man-flossing-his-teeth-xs-267x300.jpg\" alt=\"protect your enamel by flossing - 5 ways to damage tooth enamel\" width=\"267\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/photodune-1161370-man-flossing-his-teeth-xs-267x300.jpg 267w, https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/photodune-1161370-man-flossing-his-teeth-xs.jpg 422w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 267px) 100vw, 267px\" \/>What is Tooth Enamel?<\/p>\n<p>Tooth enamel is the hard, off-white material on the surface of your teeth. Enamel is essentially a cover for your teeth to protect them from damage while you eat.\u00a0 Additionally, enamel acts as a barrier between hot and cold beverages or food and the roots of your &#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/dev.pointedentalgroup.com\/blog\/5-ways-damage-tooth-enamel\/\">Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[47,18],"class_list":["post-50","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-dental-tips","tag-dental-tips","tag-tooth-enamel"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>5 Ways to Damage Tooth Enamel | Pointe Dental Group | Grosse Pointe<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Tooth enamel is very important for your dental health. 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