Tooth Enamel
Have questions about the structure of your teeth, sensitivity, or your tooth enamel? Our dentists took some time to share information and answer common patient questions to help educate about what makes up your teeth and proper oral health. View the table of contents below to learn more or find your question and get an answer from one of our dentists!
The following content was provided by Dr. Michael DesRosiers, LVIF Certified General Dentist, and has been medically reviewed for accuracy. Some relevant links have been added to audio transcripts to provide resources for additional information.
Table of Contents:
Click a question below to be taken directly to that answer.
What is your tooth enamel? What is tooth enamel made of?
Answer provided by Dr. Michael DesRosiers. Transcript included below.
Dr. Michael DesRosiers:
So the tooth enamel is the outer most portion of your tooth. It’s the white part of your tooth. It is really the hardest substance in your body. It’s a very calcified, hard tissue that covers the outside of your tooth. So when you look at a tooth in your mouth or in the mirror, the white portion of the tooth that you see is the enamel. That’s all the outermost portion of the tooth.
Are sports and energy drinks damaging my teeth?
Answer provided by Dr. Michael DesRosiers. Transcript included below.
Dr. Michael DesRosiers:
So any kind of drink that contains a lot of sugar, and some of those do, theoretically can cause trouble with those teeth. They’re popular things for different things, electrolyte replacement and things like that, when it’s hot, to make sure that we’re staying replenished in that way. It’s a quick and easy and fast way to do that. But it’s really important after you’re done to brush your teeth, or the very least, as soon as you can, rinse your mouth with water to get those those sugary substances off of your teeth that can cause cavities.
Is spicy food bad for my teeth?
Answer provided by Dr. Michael DesRosiers. Transcript included below.
Dr. Michael DesRosiers:
Spicy food is not inherently bad for your teeth. There are some people that have conditions where spicy foods will aggravate the soft tissues in your mouth, but by and large, spicy foods in and of themselves don’t cause trouble for your teeth.
Are diet sodas bad for your teeth?
Answer provided by Dr. Michael DesRosiers. Transcript included below.
Dr. Michael DesRosiers:
Diet sodas are a little bit better, because they don’t have sugar in them. So they are a little bit, a better compromise, but the best thing is water because there still are some acids and things like that in diet sodas that can wear away at your teeth over time. Water is the best thing you can possibly put in your mouth. It’s the greatest. But between a regular soda and a diet soda, there is a benefit to the diet soda in that they don’t typically contain sugar.
Why are my teeth so sensitive?
Answer provided by Dr. Michael DesRosiers. Transcript included below.
Dr. Michael DesRosiers:
There’s a lot of different reasons why your teeth can be sensitive. If you have areas of recession on your teeth, whereas, the dentin under your teeth has been exposed to the outside and the enamel has worn away some, that will typically be temperature sensitive. Having a discrepancy in the bite. So if you’ve had a filling done or had orthodontic treatment that has changed your bite and the way that your teeth hit, that can make teeth sensitive.
There are just so many reasons why your teeth can be sensitive. If you have a cavity in your teeth, that will tend to be temperature sensitive and sometimes can even become sensitive spontaneously. So there’s a lot of different reasons why that can happen. Cracks in teeth as well. If you’ve, over time, developed a crack in a tooth, that will become sensitive with pressure, chewing, sometimes hot and cold. And so, there’s just many different reasons why teeth can become sensitive.
