Dental Distress | 4 Potential Triggers Resulting In Chipped Teeth

Enamel is a protective layer around your teeth that helps them remain hard-wearing against biting, chewing and grinding. But when enamel breaks down and wears out, your teeth are in danger of chipping. A chipped tooth exposes the nerve and causes amplified tooth sensitivity. This can end up being extremely uncomfortable unless you get it fixed by a professional dentist. Here are some potential triggers resulting in chipped teeth. Finding a way to manage these triggers will help you prevent teeth chips.

Bruxism

Bruxism is essentially grinding and clenching of your teeth, which ultimately erodes teeth at their chewing surfaces. When your teeth grind against each other, the increased impact causes the enamel to weaken and wear off. Once the enamel weakens, your teeth are muct more susceptible to damage and chips with even a little extra pressure. If you grind your teeth unintentionally at night, you are in danger of your teeth chipping at some point. Your dentist may prescribe a mouth guard to protect your enamel while you are asleep.

Sporting Injuries

Impacts from sporting injuries can result in broken and chipped teeth. If you fall or crash into another player or if a ball hits you in the face, then the extreme pressure can take away bits of your teeth. If you play high-impact sports like football, hockey or rugby professionally or as a hobby, you may want to ask your dentist to fit your teeth with a mouth guard for added protection.

Tooth Decay

When enamel erodes around your teeth, they become susceptible to decay. This decay wears down the strength of teeth, which means they are more likely to chip over time. Unless the dentist removes this decay and places a crown to protect your teeth, it can also disturb the small nerve fibres in your tooth. This will eventually result in excruciating infections and tooth loss. Eventually, your dentist will need to perform a root canal to remove the infection.

Acidic Or Sugary Drinks

Drinking acidic or sugary drinks can affect tooth enamel and will eventually cause it to wear out. This is because these drinks contain corrosive acids that aggravate teeth enamel. When enamel wears out, your teeth are vulnerable to chipping and breaking even under a little pressure. If you consume acidic or sugary drinks, make sure you always wash them down with water to prevent them from sticking to your teeth and wearing out your enamel.

You must find a way to manage these triggers if you want to prevent your teeth from chipping and cracking. If a problem does arise, make sure you visit your dentist to get your teeth fixed.

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