Can Tooth Enamel Grow Back?

Enamel includes a unique combination of minerals that make up the outermost layer of your teeth. Not only does enamel give your smile its white appearance, but this structure is also the hardest substance in your entire body! It’s not surprising, therefore, that the main job of your tooth enamel is to protect. It guards your living teeth from acid erosion, bacterial attacks and the forces of biting and chewing.

Unfortunately, you may not appreciate your enamel – until it starts to disappear. Unlike your skin, nails or hair, your tooth enamel doesn’t grow back once it is lost, weakened or damaged.

How to Lose Enamel

Losing enamel should never be your goal. In fact, you’ll want to do everything you can to keep this critical layer of your teeth. Your enamel doesn’t have living cells, so what you were born with, is what you get. It doesn’t heal or replenish if it is compromised.

Enamel can erode or break from the acids in our mouth as well as extreme pressures or force. While enamel loss is not uncommon, it is also not inevitable. However, there are a wide range of factors that can damage tooth enamel, including the following:

• Teeth grinding or clenching
• Poor oral hygiene
• Nail biting/ice chewing
• Sipping on sweet and/or acidic drinks
• Frequent snacking, especially on carbohydrates

Symptoms and Treatment of Damaged Tooth Enamel

You may realize enamel erosion or enamel loss if you have dull/yellow teeth or teeth that are especially sensitive to hot/cold temperatures.

Don’t worry; if you have already suffered enamel loss, there are still things a dentist can do to restore the appearance, function and comfort of your smile. Since it won’t grow back on its own, damaged enamel may need to be fixed with a crown or dental bonding.

Call Family Smiles Dental today to learn more.