Three Ways to Protect Your Tooth Enamel

Posted on: 30 July 2015

Tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body. That sounds impressive, but as we all know, if you don't take good care of your teeth, your enamel can erode and painful cavities can form. Worse still is the fact that if you are doing the right things in the wrong way, you can actually damage your tooth enamel. 

Don't Brush Too Hard

If your teeth are really dirty, then you should scrub really hard to get your teeth clean, right? Wrong. Simply scrubbing too hard with your toothbrush can scrape off enamel. This does not mean that you can file away your tooth enamel in one super-aggressive toothbrushing session, but you still need to be careful. If you have a habit of incorrectly brushing your teeth, you can do more harm than good. 

Bring on the Saliva

Saliva plays an important role in promoting tooth health. After you eat, your mouth can stay acidic for a little while. Chewing a stick of gum will increase the flow of saliva in your mouth, which will protect your teeth in two ways: 1) Saliva flow helps to wash away acids so that they are not just sitting in your mouth and eroding your teeth. 2) Saliva contains calcium. As the the saliva flows over your teeth, it coats your teeth with a layer of calcium, thus boosting your teeth's defenses against the next acid attack. 

Take down Tartar

If you too many minerals build up on your teeth, then you can get tartar deposits. These are hard, chalky formations that discolor your teeth and contribute to bacteria growth in your mouth. To rid your mouth of tartar, you can use a tartar control toothpaste, but you can also use sesame seeds. Here's how: chew up a handful of sesame seeds and then, without swallowing, brush your teeth with a dry toothbrush. The seed fragments will act as a natural abrasive to scrub away the tartar. There are other natural remedies that involve using acid rich foods to leach away the tartar. Remember that acids can also leach away the minerals in your enamel, so you should use such strategies sparingly. 

Pearly white tooth enamel can help to open doors, and while tooth enamel forms naturally, keeping your enamel intact and white requires serious and well-informed effort. With the right dental regimen, you can fend off cavities and keep your smile looking great. More information can be found here.

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