Enamel is something that is absolutely vital for the health and strength of your teeth, but as you probably know, once it is gone, you cannot get it back. Enamel does not just disappear on its own, though. Instead, enamel tends to wear away due to certain habits and health issues you may have. If you want to protect your teeth, you should learn more about what causes the erosion of enamel, as this can help you find ways to avoid this problem. Here are some of the leading causes of enamel erosion.

Medical issues

Certain medical conditions and eating disorders will often cause enamel erosion of the teeth, and this occurs from the high levels of acids in the mouth due to these conditions. For example, if you have GERD, you can expect to suffer from enamel erosion, as GERD causes stomach acids to end up inside the mouth. These acids eat away at teeth, leaving you with enamel erosion. Any type of eating disorder may also leave your teeth exposed to high levels of acids. Additionally, if you are an alcoholic, you may also have a much higher risk of developing enamel erosion from the ingredients found in alcohol.

Consuming the wrong foods and beverages

A second cause of enamel erosion is from consuming the wrong foods and beverages. If you eat or drink foods and beverages that are high in acids, you will have a greater potential for developing erosion of your tooth enamel. Enamel erosion commonly occurs from the exposure of acids to the teeth. Limiting the amount of acid your teeth are exposed to is one of the best ways to prevent this from happening to your teeth.

Using too much force when brushing

You can also develop this problem with your teeth if you brush your teeth with too much force. You might think that fast, hard, and aggressive brushing will clean your teeth deeper and protect them more, but this is really not the case. You might brush your teeth so hard that you cause the enamel to wear away if this is how you brush your teeth every day. To avoid this, you should aim to brush your teeth at least twice a day, but you should not use so much force. Instead, brush gently for two minutes each time you brush and always try to brush all areas of your mouth.

You can prevent enamel erosion by making the necessary changes to your diet, lifestyle, and health. To learn more or to find out treatment options for this, talk to a local dentist.

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