Sansation

Try this online oral health application. Should take around 5mins.

• To help prevent dental erosion, it is recommended you avoid brushing for at least 60 minutes after eating or drinking acidic foods or drinks. Consuming acidic foods and drinks leaves the enamel softened and more prone to erosion through brushing.
• Avoid sipping acidic drinks like orange juice, sodas (both sweetened and diet) and wine over long periods of time. Minimize contact of such drinks with your teeth’s surface by drinking them with a straw and not swishing them around in your mouth.
• Use a fluoride toothpaste with low abrasivity, such as Colgate® Sensitive Enamel Protect™, or any of the Sensodyne range (with the except of the orginal)

The effects of acid erosion can affect all ages and, once present, cannot be reversed – protection is the best policy.

What you can do

• Avoid brushing teeth immediately after consuming acidic food or drinks – it’s best to wait as long as possible.
• Drink acidic drinks quickly – don’t swish them around or hold them for long periods within your mouth
• Brush twice a day, every day, with a toothpaste likeSensodyne Pronamel or Sensodyne Pronamel Gentle Whitening to help re-harden softened tooth enamel

Signs

Teeth may look healthy

Dentist’s torch may show transparency (light adjusted to show clinical situation).

What to look out for

Early stages:

• sensitivity when consuming hot or cold food and drinks;
• a rounded look on the surface of the tooth;
• a slight yellow appearance as the tooth becomes thinner and the underlying dentine shows through.

Later stages:

• darker yellow appearance of the teeth;
• transparency at the edges;
• sensitivity becoming more severe;
• small dents on the tooth surface.

The effects of acid erosion cannot be reversed & if left to advance may require treatment from the dentist to restore & protect the affected teeth. In very extreme cases the damage caused may require affected teeth to be extracted.

Tooth sensitivity

Sensitive teeth occur when the underlying layer of your teeth — the dentin — becomes exposed as a result of receding gum tissue (the protective blanket that covers the tooth roots). The roots, which are not covered by hard enamel, contain thousands of tiny tubules leading to the tooth’s nerve center (the pulp). These dentinal tubules (or channels) allow the stimuli — for example, the hot, cold, or sweet food — to reach the nerve in your tooth, which results in the pain you feel.

There are many factors that may lead to sensitive teeth, including.

• Brushing too hard. Over time, brushing too hard or using a hard-bristled toothbrush can wear down enamel and cause the dentin to be exposed. It can also cause recession of the gums (the gum tissue pulls away from the teeth).
• Tooth decay near the gum line.
• Recession of the gums. As gums move away from a tooth due to conditions such as periodontal disease, the root surface becomes exposed.
• Gum disease (gingivitis) . Inflamed and sore gum tissue may cause sensitivity due to the loss of supporting ligaments, which exposes the root surface that leads directly to the nerve of the tooth.
• Cracked teeth. Chipped or broken teeth may fill with bacteria from plaque and enter the pulp causing Inflammation.
• Teeth grinding . Grinding or clenching your teeth may wear down the enamel and expose underlying dentin.
• Tooth whitening products or toothpaste with baking soda and peroxide.These products are major contributors to sensitive teeth.
• Your age. Tooth sensitivity is highest between the ages of 25 and 30.
• Plaque build-up. The presence of plaque on the root surfaces can cause sensitivity.
• Mouthwash use. Long-term use of some mouthwashes. Some over-the-counter mouthwashes contain acids that can worsen tooth sensitivity if you have exposed dentin (the middle layer of the tooth). The acids further damage the dentin layer of the tooth. If you have dentin sensitivity, ask your dentist about the use of a neutral fluoride solution.
• Acidic foods. Regular consumption of foods with a high acid content, such as citrus fruits, tomatoes, pickles, and tea, can cause enamel erosion.
• Recent routine dental procedures. Sensitivity can occur following teeth cleaning, root planing, crownplacement, and tooth restoration. Sensitivity caused by dental procedures is temporary, usually disappearing in four to six weeks.

Acidity and erosion

What is enamel?
Tooth enamel is the hardest and most highly mineralized substance of the body, and is one of the four major tissues which make up the tooth. It is the normally visible dental tissue of a tooth and is supported by underlying dentin.

What is enamel erosion?
Enamel erosion is the irreversible loss of tooth tissue due mainly to exposure to acid.

What causes enamel erosion?
The main cause of enamel erosion is exposure of the teeth to acids. Sources of acid exposure can be intrinsic (from within your body) or extrinsic (from outside your body). People at risk from intrinsic acid exposure include those who experience gastric reflux or recurrent vomiting. Extrinsic acid can be found in some of our most popular everyday foods and drinks. Examples include citrus fruits, apples, pickles, vinegar, sodas (both sweetened and diet), wine and orange juice.