Visiting a dental clinic to have your teeth cleaned and examined is an important step in good oral health. During a typical visit, a dentist will examine numerous things inside your mouth, and one thing he or she will look at is the amount of enamel on your teeth. While it is impossible to physically differentiate between teeth with enamel and teeth without, there are a lot of different signs that can help a dentist determine if your enamel is weak or worn away. Here are some of the signs and side effects of teeth that are missing their enamel.
Discolored teeth
Enamel is white, whereas the under layers of teeth are yellow. If your teeth are yellow, it could be due to a loss of enamel. This is not the only cause of discoloration of teeth, though, so your dentist will also look for a variety of other signs when trying to determine how strong and sufficient your enamel is. In addition, if your enamel is gone completely, it can leave teeth with a transparent type of look, and your dentist will also look for this when examining your teeth.
Tooth decay and problems
When teeth have a good supply of enamel on them, they are strong and are not prone to cavities. As the enamel erodes from your teeth, you will have a much higher chance of having decay on your teeth. Decay on a tooth is called a cavity. If your dentist sees a lot of decay on your teeth, it could be a sign that your enamel has eroded and is not thick enough to protect your teeth.
Teeth without enough enamel may also experience other problems, such as cracks and chips. Weak teeth breath much easier than teeth that are strong and have a sufficient amount of enamel on them.
Sensitivity
As your dentist pokes around your mouth, he or she will look for signs of sensitivity with your teeth, and this is something the dentist may ask you about. As tooth enamel wears away, it leaves inner parts of your teeth exposed, and this is a huge cause of tooth sensitivity. In fact, your teeth are not likely to experience tooth sensitivity if your enamel is strong and sufficient.
If your dentist tells you that your teeth do not have enough enamel on them, you should find out what you can do to stop the damage that will naturally occur to teeth that do not have enough enamel. If you would like to learn more about tooth enamel, schedule a visit today with a clinic like Cross Creek Family Dental.
