Unfortunately, you don’t keep generating teeth throughout your entire life. Once you lose your baby teeth, the permanent set is all that you are going to get. Therefore, it is extremely important to incorporate an excellent oral care routine into your life to avoid teeth problems. Daily brushing and flossing is an essential aspect of this strategy, but are they enough to keep you from developing teeth problems?
Even though you brush and floss your teeth every day, you can still develop problems with your teeth. Some of the foods and beverages you ingest create acid erosion on your teeth, wearing off the enamel through a process known as demineralization. As a result, your teeth lose their enamel, making them susceptible to damage. In fact, daily brushing creates an abrasive action that can strip away enamel that has been softened by acid erosion. Soda, fruits, juices, and wine fall into this category of acidic foods and beverages.
While brushing and flossing is great for keeping your teeth clean, it is still possible for you to have teeth problems. Whether or not your teeth have become weakened by acid erosion, you can still chip or crack a tooth. Eating foods that are extremely hard (jaw breakers, hard candies, ice cubes) can break a tooth. Once this happens, you need to go to the dentist to have it repaired as soon as possible. Waiting too long can allow tooth decay to set in. If you continue to wait, a bacterial infection can occur, giving you even more teeth problems to worry about.
As you age, your teeth become more susceptible to damage. This is partly because of the damage that has accumulated over the years as well as partly because of the alignment of your teeth or fissures in your molars. Teeth that are crooked are more difficult to clean, so cavities can develop more easily. Deep crevices in the molars can hide food debris even though you brush regularly, possibly leading to teeth problems.