It seems like each month that goes by a different tooth has a slight chip on it. It may be after you were eating and other times it happens when you wake up. How could that be if you were sleeping and not even eating? Why is this happening and what can you do about it?
Our purpose here today is to explain to you why this phenomenon keeps happening to you. There are indeed causes which can weaken your teeth in this way to make them more prone to chipping. Well, keep on reading to find out why.
Table of Contents:
The causes for why your teeth are chipping so easily.
Teeth grinding habit
If you have this night time habit of grinding your teeth, you may be weakening your teeth and even chip it in the process. If you wake up in the morning and see a chip, then you're probably grinding. The source of teeth grinding is typically due to stress so if you only grind occasionally then it means you're probably going through a stressful period in your life.
Nutritional deficiency
Strong teeth requires a diet that is high in calcium and phosphorous because they help strengthen teeth. If your teeth are weak, you may not be consuming the right types of foods. You may want to review your dietary habits.
Eating hard textured foods
The most optimum nutritional diet in the world won't protect your teeth if you just keep eating hard foods. Enamel may be the strongest substance in your body but if you repeatedly chew hard foods, even the enamel will wear down over time.
The most harmful hard foods to your teeth are:
Ice cubes
Nuts
Using your teeth as a can opener
Biting into crab legs
Unsuspectingly biting into an olive pit
How to stop your teeth from chipping.
Get a night guard from your dentist. If your teeth are chipping from grinding at night, you can fix the problem by having a custom night guard made by your dentist. The mouth guard will protect your teeth while you're sleeping so you don't damage them or weaken them. You'll be grinding on the guard instead of on your own teeth.
Fix your diet. You need to start eating foods that are high in calcium and phosphorous so that your body can naturally strengthen your enamel and make your teeth stronger.
Calcium rich foods:
Dairy products - milk, yogurt, cheese
Calcium fortified beverages - almond milk, soymilk, juices
Dark green leafy vegetables
Dried peas and beans
Fish with bones
Fortified cereals
Calcium is a very important mineral that your body needs to build strong teeth and bones. Without it, your teeth will be weakened. The cleveland clinic recommends that you should consume about 1000 mg of calcium per day.
Phosphorous rich foods:
Animal products - Chicken, turkey, pork, organ meats
Seafood - sardines, clams, scallops, salmon, mackerel, crabs
Dairy - cheese, milk, yogurts
Sunflower and pumpkin seeds
Nuts
Whole grains - amaranth and quinoa
Beans and lentils
Soy
Phosphate fortified foods
Phosphorous is the second essential nutrient that is required for naturally strengthening your teeth. According to the NIH, the daily amount of recommended phosphorous intake is 700 mg.
How to strengthen your teeth naturally to prevent chipping
Aside from consuming the right types of foods to provide the building blocks for strengthening your teeth, you should be using the right type of toothpaste. There are two types of toothpastes that will naturally strengthen your enamel and make your teeth stronger.
Toothpaste with fluoride. Our teeth are made of over 90% hydroxyapatite and when it comes into contact with fluoride, it becomes strengthened to fluorapatite. Fluorapatite has increased hardness, increased stability, and increased resistance to acid attacks. These additional benefits will prevent your teeth from chipping easily.
Toothpaste with nano hydroxyapatite. This natural toothpaste does not contain fluoride but has a lot of hydroxyapatite, which your teeth are naturally made of. It has a large reservoir of calcium and phosphate, which your body uses to strengthen the enamel. The hydroxyapatite toothpaste will be a wonderful supplement in addition to eating calcium and phosphate rich foods.
How do you fix the chip?
If your teeth are already chipped, you're no longer able to prevent it. You should still adhere to the recommendations above such as wearing a night guard, eating the right foods, and using the right toothpastes so that it doesn't get worse.
Only your dentist can fix your chipped teeth with composite bondings. Bondings are white filling materials that match the color of your natural teeth. This procedure can only be done at a dental office and is not possible at home so there is no home remedy for it.
If you have a chipped tooth or need a night guard, please don't hesitate to see one of our long island city dentists who will take care of your every need. We can also give you tips on how to prevent your teeth from chipping so easily. Prevention is the best cure.
