Oral Health | The Health of Your Tooth Enamel

Your tooth enamel is the hardest substance in your body. Yes, it is harder than your skull or your femur. However, while incredibly hard, it is still relatively fragile and can incur a lot of damage. If your tooth enamel becomes damaged, you will start to experience more health issues like cavities, gum disease, and more!

In order to keep your tooth enamel in a healthy state, our team wants to provide you with several things that have the potential damage your enamel. These include:

• Chewing on ice cubes
• Accidentally chewing on a popcorn kernel
• Biting your nails
• Mouth jewelry (tongue rings)
• Chewing on pens or pencils

If you do any of the above, or have jewelry, you should consider making a change to protect your tooth enamel.

Along with the above, there is a medical condition that can cause a lot of damage to your enamel: bruxism. Bruxism, more commonly known as grinding your teeth, occurs while you sleep, and physically wears away your enamel. In addition to damaging your enamel, grinding your teeth can also cause issues with your TMJ. The best way to prevent yourself from grinding your teeth is to schedule an appointment with your dentist and receive a bite splint. 

Do you have oral health issues?

If your enamel has worn down, you may have issues with tooth decay, gum disease, or maybe even worse. If you are in need of care, feel free to schedule an appointment with the Periodontal Associates of Jackson at our office in Jackson, MS.