Symptoms of Dental Erosion

Erosion of healthy tooth enamel is becoming more and more widespread. Unfortunately, the professional team at the Manhattan Beach Cosmetic Dentistry office sees many cases where damage has progressed to the point where it cannot be corrected. This is important to remember – once dental enamel is lost due, it cannot be replaced.

What causes dental acid erosion?

Our tooth enamel protects the interior portion of our teeth and is constantly subject to damage from acidic food and drinks. Young children and adolescents tend to consume large quantities of fruit juices and other acidic beverages like energy drinks, so they are particularly vulnerable to dental erosion. Orange and apple juice may be healthy for the body but contain high levels of acid that will cause tooth enamel to erode when consumed in large quantities. Other drinks known to cause dental erosion are carbonated cola drinks and wine.

What are the symptoms of dental erosion?

You may have already experienced dental erosion without being aware of it. Some symptoms to look for are:

• Yellowing of teeth:  The acid that we consume in certain food and drinks wears away healthy dental enamel, allowing underlying yellowish dentin becomes more noticeable.
• Increased sensitivity:  Healthy dental enamel is a very hard substance that protects underlying tooth structure. As this enamel wears away, you may experience increased sensitivity to hot and cold foods or when visiting your dentist.
• Changes in the shape of your teeth: Since the acid in certain foods and drinks eats away at healthy tooth enamel, the shape of your teeth can appear to change or gaps may start to form between teeth.
• Dental fillings become more noticeable: Since dental fillings are fashioned from man-made materials, they will not be impacted to the same extent as dental enamel. This causes fillings to become more noticeable as surrounding dental enamel deteriorates.

If you are concerned about the appearance of your teeth, the Manhattan Beach Cosmetic Dentistry office provides cosmetic alternatives like porcelain veneers that beautifully disguise the effects of dental erosion. Contact our office for a free consultation so we can explain the best ways for you to preserve healthy tooth enamel and cosmetically correct teeth that may already be damaged.