Enamel – Destruction and Restoration

The human body contains myriads of minerals that are present in almost all body tissues. The hardest of these minerals is enamel, which is found in the teeth. This mineral forms the outermost layer of the teeth, creating a hard shell over other more sensitive layers. However, this strong tissue is vulnerable to corrosion caused by some inherent bacteria in the mouth, discoloration, and clenching or grinding of the teeth. The destruction of enamel is characterized by the blackening of surface or by simply breaking down. The blackening of teeth surface happens when cavities form on the teeth. Cavities, also known as dental caries, form when some types of bacteria in the mouth react with sucrose, a kind of sugar found in the mouth due to frequent eating of sweets, forming lactic acid that reduces the pH level in the mount. A reduction in the pH level causes the enamel to erode in a process called demineralization. When teeth begin to demineralize, it loses the natural minerals needed for the enamel to maintain its strength. Because of this, the teeth start to weaken and even lose their natural color. In worse cases of cavity formation, the teeth blacken as they slowly dissolve. Many dentists in well-developed cities like Los Angeles conduct restorative operations either to prevent cavity or bring back the natural color of the teeth. Discoloration is a condition of the enamel caused either by aging or repetitive exposure to staining substances like tobacco and some antibiotic medications such as tetracycline. This condition is characterized by darkening of the surface of the teeth and differentiated from the appearance of deciduous teeth. There are dentists who perform restoration of the color of the teeth like Los Angeles teeth whitening dentists. Los Angeles teeth whitening dentists can conduct several methods such as bleaching strips, bleaching pen, bleaching gel, laser bleaching and natural bleaching. Any of these methods is effective, but excessive application may result to thinning of the enamel. Do it yourself methods like using bleaching gel is safer, but it takes more time. Los Angeles teeth whitening dentists are not limited to dental bleaching, whereas teeth whitening can be practiced by any cosmetic dentist. Enamel broken by clenching or thinned by years of grinding is restored by other dental methods, such as installation of dental crowns or porcelain veneers.