At my last dentist checkup my dentist told me that I had some tooth enamel erosion and asked me if I eat a lot of sour foods. I don't eat a lot of sour foods. What does this mean? I've always had really good teeth, I've never had a cavity or anything and I'm almost 17 years old. What could this be from and how can I prevent it from continuing????

Hi

I think the dentist may be referring to foods such as lemons etc which contain acid which eat away the enamel. I too have this problem but mine was caused my drinking loads of cola. You could always ask him to give you a better explanation next time you visit.

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Maz

Do you have acid reflux/ a lot of heartburn? How about an ED? Could you perhaps be brushing too hard? Do other people in your family have this problem (ie its genetic)? These are a few possibilities if it is not the food that you eat.

Did your dentist point out the areas that are getting thin? I think it's worth a call to his office for some suggestions on what to do to prevent further damage if possible. Enamal loss seems to be a family trait for me. All of the women have these spots on their teeth near the gum line where the enamal has been worn away. Its the same teeth in each of us and the only help seems to be not brushing those areas any more than absolutely necessary. You need to address the issue as your teeth can get pretty painful if the roots become exposed.

Ask your dentist some more questions and get some advice.

I drink a lot of pop. Especially Pepsi, Coca Cola, and Mountain Dew. I have a can about every day. Could that be the reason?? My sister has told me that I brush my teeth too hard, but I don't know.

pop especially the colas(which contain phosporic acid) can definitely harm enamal, due to the suger content as well as the presense of various acids.

I'm down to a can a day of mountain dew b/c my dentist said that it is harmful to teeth, but it's hard to stop drinking that one can!

hi!
i had erosion too, just by my gumline, and since i took my dentists advice it's been MUCH better.
my prob was drinking too much orange juice and then brushing my teeth straight after.
you would think this is a good idea, o.j has sugar, brush away the sugar, right? WRONG!!
acid/sugar/fizzy drinks weaken your enamel and then you brush that surface and make it worse! he recommends cutting down on those naughty drinks,(DUH!) and swilling your mouth out with water/milk/sugar free gum after you've been naughty. then brushing your teeth after a decent interval, (20/30 mins). i wash my mouth out with a flouride mouthwash or s/f gum after a fizzy, and touch wood, no problems since.

I also have that problem. My dentist told me to switch to a soft bristle toothbrush and to stop brushing so hard!

Is there any way to reverse the damage already done or get back the eroded enamel or is there a way to make the enamel stronger??? I'll make sure I don't brush so hard and drink less pop and stuff, but is there anything else I could do?????

i know that fluoride can remineralize early decay, so topical fluoride?
ask your dentist, any dental workers on thhe board?

Once the erosion has occured you cannot get the enamel back. It could be caused from the pop that you are drinking. Pop has a lot of sugar and acids. If you are going to drink pop it is best to drink it all at once and not drink if over long periods of time. When you finish drinking it, swish your mouth with water or chew some sugarless gum. Erosion can also be caused from brushing too hard. Do your bristles on your toothbrush wear out quickly and spray out. Make sure your using a soft or even extra soft toothbrush, apply gentle pressure when brushing and angle the toothbrush bristles at a 45 degree angle to the gums. Also replace your toothbrush at least every 2-3 months and if it starts to look worn before that replace it sooner. Sometimes dentists will place fillings at sites of erosion if they are deep enough to hold a filling (tooth colored). This way you will wear away filling material instead of tooth. Fluoride is always a great thing. If the erosion is partially do to decalcification or break down of the enamel due to the amount of sugar/acid you are taking in then a OTC fluoride rinse would be good (ACT) or even better a prescription fluoride toothpaste. I would find out for sure what exactly the erosion is caused from first.