Your teeth are healthiest when they’re strong, and they’re designed to maintain their strength and integrity in numerous ways. For example, the enamel that surrounds them is the most resilient substance your body produces, and when healthy, it can effectively protect your teeth from immense bite pressure, harmful oral bacteria, and more. Also, the alignment of your teeth makes them more efficient at absorbing your bite’s pressure without sustaining any damage. However, there are some factors that might weaken your teeth and their overall integrity, and today, we examine how a few of these factors can impact your oral health overall.
1. Allowing plaque to overwhelm them
Dental plaque is a biofilm that’s comprised of hundreds of different kinds of oral bacteria. These bacteria form it constantly, which is why brushing and flossing your teeth every day is so important. When plaque builds up excessively on your teeth, some of the bacteria it harbors can release harmful substances, like acid, that make your tooth enamel weaker. This can eventually lead to the enamel becoming compromised and oral bacteria infecting the tooth’s main structure. It might also leave the tooth more susceptible to sustaining damage to its structure.
2. Grinding them together all the time
Oral bacteria and plaque are constant threats to your teeth, but they aren’t the only ones. For some people, their teeth can become threatened by a grinding habit, which may be an indication of bruxism. When you have bruxism, you grind your teeth subconsciously and often, which gradually wear down their chewing surfaces and lead to cracks, breaks, or more in one or several teeth. Bruxism can often be treated early with a custom-designed oral appliance, which stops your teeth from grinding together while you sleep at night.
3. Leaving a damaged tooth untreated
If you have one or more teeth that are already damaged or compromised, then their structural integrity is already compromised. Restoring the tooth can restore most of its strength, but until the problem is addressed, it may also impact the health, integrity, and/or alignment of your other teeth. The most effective way to preserve the damaged tooth and the rest of your healthy, natural teeth is to have the tooth restored as soon as possible.
Learn how to keep your teeth stronger
When teeth become weak, they’re more vulnerable to a wide range of potential concerns, which is why preserving their strength and integrity is important to protecting your healthy smile. To learn more, schedule an appointment with us by calling Dreem Dentistry in Leawood, KS, today at 913-681-5500. We also serve patients who live in Overland Park and all surrounding communities.
