When a patient has healthy dental enamel, he or she is less likely to develop dental cavities and damage. Our Saint Louis dentists help our patients take positive steps to maintain strong dental enamel. Today we are going to talk about some treatments and therapies that are used in preventive and restorative dentistry to address enamel.
Your enamel is susceptible to developing cavities and sustaining damage. One way that your dentist may protect your teeth is by applying sealants over vulnerable enamel. Sealants are especially useful for teeth that have deep pits and grooves, which are prone to accumulating bacteria. Once the sealant is in place, harmful bacteria will not be able to settle in these vulnerable spots.
Some people with weak and compromised enamel may require treatments to help fortify and strengthen their teeth. One way to deal with this is to undergo in-office topical fluoride treatments—these treatments are often used in pediatric dentistry.
Dental bonding is another treatment that can help people maintain strong enamel. By applying dental resin to selective portions of a patient’s tooth, our team can fill in small cracks and chips before they widen and become problematic. The dental bonding process is quick and comfortable, and once the resin has cured it will be resilient and natural-looking.
It can also be important to minimize the effects of harmful habits that can take a toll on your enamel. So, for example, if you are prone to dental grinding, you may want to talk to your dental team about wearing a protective mouth guard to save your dental enamel.
In all cases, prompt dental treatment can make all of the difference when it comes to keeping dental enamel from deteriorating. So, if you think that your dental enamel is at risk, please take the time to reach out to our Saint Louis dentists for support—we are here to help!