Restoration of tooth enamel
Tooth enamel is the hardest tissue in the human body. It consists of 96% inorganic substances and serves to protect the tooth from external influences. But its strength does not guarantee complete invulnerability. Tooth enamel can also be destroyed. This leads to increased sensitivity of the teeth, to pain and the development of caries. At the initial stage, the pathology is difficult to recognize, but if the process has begun, it will progress. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out the restoration of tooth enamel in time. This will help to avoid serious consequences and maintain dental health.
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Destruction of tooth enamel
This problem is most common in the elderly. Enamel is destroyed for natural reasons due to a lack of minerals. But it can happen in young people and even children. There are many reasons for the destruction:
- genetic predisposition or congenital anomalies in the structure of the teeth;
- mechanical damage when cracking nuts, biting off threads, the habit of gnawing pens, seeds;
- excessive consumption of acidic foods, carbonated drinks;
- frequent use of a hard toothbrush or whitening pastes with abrasive particles;
- improper oral hygiene;
- excess fluoride in food and water;
- loss of part of the teeth, due to which the load on the rest increases;
- hormonal disruptions;
- smoking.
Usually, with mechanical damage or trauma, a person immediately notices the destruction of the enamel. He feels pain when touched by cold or hot, while brushing his teeth. But in other cases, the process is gradual. First, the enamel near the neck of the tooth becomes thinner, the front teeth and incisors are most susceptible to this.
It is important to know that dentists always answer negatively to the question of whether tooth enamel is restored on its own. Once the process has begun, it can only be stopped by special means or procedures. But this should be done as soon as possible, as it will progress, bacteria penetrate through the cracks and can cause inflammation.
Doctor's recovery procedures
The most effective way to restore tooth enamel is at the dentist. At the initial stages, simple procedures are enough. These include fluoridation and remineralization. This is the application of special compounds to the surface of the teeth, which saturate the tissues with essential minerals. A feature of the procedures is that they need to be repeated periodically.
Fluoridation of teeth with the help of special varnishes or medical preparations containing fluorine and calcium is a medical procedure. It increases the resistance of enamel to external influences, especially to acids. These drugs prevent the growth of pathogenic bacteria in the mouth. The procedure is carried out by applying a special varnish, which seals all cracks, channels, increases the thickness of the protective layer. For deeper fluoridation, the patient undergoes a course of treatment, which consists in applying special compositions to damaged teeth.
Remineralization is effective for restoring tooth enamel. This is also the application of therapeutic varnish, but in addition to fluorine, it contains many other minerals. The advantage of the procedure over fluoridation is the avoidance of an overdose of fluoride, which can be dangerous. But it is necessary to undergo a course of procedures so that useful substances accumulate in the tissues.
If the destruction is not strong, it affected only the upper layer, such procedures will be enough. But in more serious cases, applying varnishes will not help. In case of deep damage, other methods are used in dentistry to restore tooth enamel.
- Implantation is carried out by means that almost completely repeat the composition of the enamel. They are applied to the teeth and take root with the help of modern technologies. At the same time, the teeth become even, cracks, chips and darkened areas disappear.
- Filling is an old tried and tested method. It is it that is used for severe chips, cracks, tooth decay. Special composite materials not only level the surface, but also protect the enamel.
- Veneers or lumineers are used when yellow spots appear, darkening, a large damage surface. These are plates that are superimposed on the crown. They are able to hide any flaws in the dentition.
How to do it yourself
Restoration of tooth enamel can be carried out at home. Various folk remedies are effective in the initial stages of pathology. They are mainly used to prevent the progression of the process. There are some of the most effective folk recipes. It is advisable to consult a doctor before using them and follow all his recommendations.
- Sometimes it is recommended to wipe the teeth with the white pulp of the lemon peel. But with the destruction that has already begun, citric acid can aggravate the situation.
- Use crushed activated charcoal tablets twice a week instead of toothpaste. This method also cannot be used in the presence of cracks or thinned sections.
- Rinse your mouth with sea salt before going to bed. It is necessary to dilute a tablespoon of salt in a glass of warm water and rinse the entire solution. Tooth enamel is restored due to its special mineral composition. Soda solution has the same effect.
- Dried herbs of mint and fennel are crushed into powder, mixed with cinnamon. This mixture is slightly diluted with water and used instead of toothpaste for cleaning.
- It is useful to chew beeswax several times a week or suck a piece of propolis.
- Mix the juice of beets and garlic, moisten a cotton pad and apply to the damaged area. Rinse your mouth after a while.
- Do gum massage, which improves the blood supply to tissues and metabolic processes in them.
Nutrition
Many are interested in whether the enamel on the teeth is restored when the diet is changed. In fact, this tissue is capable of regeneration, but this happens very slowly and only at the initial stage of destruction. In addition, a change in nutrition can act if the cause of the pathology is a violation of mineral metabolism in the body. At the same time, products with a large amount of calcium and fluorine are able to remineralize the teeth from the inside.
Such strengthening is necessary for pregnant women, children, the elderly. It is advisable, along with the use of such products, to avoid those that remove calcium from the body. These are coffee, carbonated and alcoholic drinks, sweets. It is advisable to include more fresh vegetables and fruits in the diet, which naturally cleanse the oral cavity from plaque.
The following products are useful for restoring tooth enamel:
- milk, cottage cheese, cheese, natural yoghurts;
- almonds, peanuts, sesame;
- celery, parsley, broccoli;
- beans, peas, lentils;
- sea fish, red caviar, seaweed;
- green tea;
- eggs, especially ground eggshells.
Special tools for the restoration of tooth enamel
Can tooth enamel be restored without the use of special tools? Dentists believe that this is impossible, and all folk remedies can only be used as an auxiliary method. The main one is the use of special pastes.
Most often, therapeutic pastes for remineralization of teeth contain various fluorine compounds. They act almost like fluoridation at a dentist: they increase the resistance of enamel, destroy pathogenic bacteria, and saturate tissues with minerals. But for this, while brushing your teeth, the paste should remain on them for at least 2-3 minutes.
Such therapeutic or prophylactic pastes may contain fluorides, monofluorophosphate, calcium salts, triclosan, hydroxyapatite, theobromine, vitamins B and D. It is advisable that the doctor recommend the right remedy, since a large assortment of such pastes is on sale.
- President Unique contains glycerophosphate, lactate and calcium pantothenate. You need to apply within a month.
- President Classic with sodium fluoride creates a protective film that prevents the destruction of enamel. Can be used daily for a long time.
- "Splat Biocalcium" fills microcracks and pores. The result is visible after two weeks of use.
- Silcamed Biocalcium contains hydroxyapatite and phosphate complex. Not only saturates tissues with essential minerals, but also evens out irregularities and fills cracks. Can be used daily for a long time.
- Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief refers to therapeutic agents, so you can use it no more than 1 time per day and no longer than a month. But due to the presence of a large amount of calcium, hypersensitivity disappears within a minute after cleaning.
- Sensodyne Repair & Protect also contains a high concentration of calcium and fluoride. Quickly restores enamel, but can be used for no more than a month.
- Curasept ADS 705 is effective in caries prevention. In addition, it seals cracks, removes darkening and saturates tissues with minerals.
- Theobromine-based special Theodent paste strengthens enamel and stimulates regeneration processes.
- Thanks to the complex of minerals, Wunderdent paste is able to restore already damaged enamel.
- Pomorin Maximum Protection contains sea water, minerals from Lake Pomorie and calcium. Effectively saturates the tissues of the teeth with essential trace elements.
- Silca Herbal Complete and Natural Extrakte, in addition to fluorides, contains a complex of medicinal herbs. Therefore, it has not only a preventive, but also a therapeutic effect, improving blood circulation in tissues, preventing inflammation and reducing tooth sensitivity.
- Pasta ROCS Caribbean Summer contains not only calcium and phosphorus. The presence of magnesium, xylitol and bromelain increases its therapeutic effect.
In addition to home remineralization pastes, you can use special rinses and fluoride gel. Rinses should be used after meals, they help get rid of food debris, improve the condition of the gums, and strengthen the enamel. During rinsing, the solution must be kept in the mouth for at least a minute.
At home, you can also use tooth enamel restoration products, similar to those used by dentists for fluoridation. It can be applied to the surface of the teeth with a special applicator or use mouthguards. It is better if such devices are made individually.
With this method of restoration, the gel is left in the mouth from 5 minutes to several hours. There is also an express method, when a special composition is applied for several minutes, then spat. It is usually not recommended to rinse your mouth or eat for a while afterwards. The most effective gels are ROCS Medical Minerals and LACALUT fluor Gel. You can also use the Biorepair tool, which, in addition to the gel, includes special trays.
Destruction Prevention
Not everyone knows whether the enamel on the teeth is restored by itself. Many consider this a frivolous problem until the tooth starts to hurt. But you can prevent this by taking preventive measures:
- brush your teeth regularly using a soft brush;
- do not abuse whitening pastes;
- eat less sweets, sour fruits, carbonated drinks;
- do not gnaw nuts, seeds, do not open bottles with your teeth;
- avoid sudden changes in temperature in the mouth;
- adjust the diet, enriching it with essential minerals.
In addition, you need to visit the dentist regularly. It is recommended to carry out the simplest procedures for restoring tooth enamel in adults every six months. This will help to avoid the development of caries and other diseases of the oral cavity.
The destruction of tooth enamel is difficult to avoid, but this process can be slowed down. Proper nutrition and following the recommendations of dentists on oral hygiene will help keep your teeth healthy. But if the enamel has already begun to collapse, urgent measures must be taken, otherwise it will cause the development of caries, pulpitis, and may even lead to tooth loss.