Dental health goes so much further than brushing twice a day and flossing regularly – unfortunately for us.
It may feel like you’re doing everything you can to ensure those pearly whites are squeaky clean, but over time, you often start to notice various changes within the mouth.
Of course, some of these are natural side effects of ageing, but occasionally they can be things we can easily prevent.
If you’ve noticed your teeth going see-through, rest assured that you’re not alone. It can look concerning, but there are some ‘common culprits’ that may mean it’s actually not your fault.
Why can teeth look see-through?
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According to Empire Dental, teeth appear to go translucent along the edges ‘because the enamel has eroded away and become very thin’.
“Enamel is the outermost layer of your teeth and is responsible for protecting the inner dentin and pulp layers,” its website says.
“While enamel is very strong, it can still be worn down over time. When enamel wears down, two things happen: enamel loses its colour and the underlying dentin shows through. However, since dentin does not extend to the edges of your teeth, the edges only contain enamel, which is why they look translucent as the enamel breaks down.”
The experts at Empire Dental said this enamel erosion can be caused by ‘many things’ but that there were a few particularly common roots causes.
What can cause your teeth to look see-through?
Acidic diet
Certain foods and drinks can pose a threat to your tooth enamel due to their high acid content – something that’s all down to tooth enamel starting to ‘demineralize around a pH of 5.5 or lower’.
“The more acidic your diet, the higher your risk of developing translucent teeth,” the experts explained.
Medical conditions
However, it may not be your fault, as there are also medical conditions that can impact your oral health by ‘exposing your teeth to stomach acid on a regular basis’.
These include heartburn, acid reflux, morning sickness, bulimia and any other condition that causes frequent vomiting.
“Unfortunately, stomach acid is highly corrosive and can damage your enamel when it frequently comes into contact with it,” the experts continued.
“Celiac disease has also been known to affect the development of enamel, causing it to be thinner than normal.”
Enamel hypoplasia
This is a condition that affects the development of tooth enamel, causing it to be thinner than normal – or even non-existent, in some rarer cases.
It can also cause ‘white spots, pits, or grooves to form on the enamel as a result of poor development’.
As for how you can get rid of translucent teeth, sadly that’s not quite so straightforward. As tooth enamel can’t be regrown once it has worn down, prevention is your best bet for keeping those gnashers healthy.
However, if you do want to look into any restorative treatments, your options are dental bonding, veneers and crowns – all of which can last for anywhere between five and 15 years before they might need replacing.
Topics: Health
Jess Hardiman