What is GERD, how does it impact our teeth, causes and preventions?
GERD, more commonly known as acid reflux is a digestive condition many individuals face. The sphincter in our stomach that prevents the acidic stomach juices from going back up in the mouth is weakened, allowing those acidic juices to go back in the mouth.
The weakned sphincter allows the acidic juices to enter the mouth often. This usually impacts the back side of our teeth as those come most in contact with the acidic juices. The acidic contents make the protective enamel coating of our teeth to be weakened. Overtime, as most of the enamel wears away, the inner lining of the teeth, the dentin is exposed. Dentin is not as strong as enamel and transmits pain to the nerves, causing sensitivity.
The sphincter can be weakned by many factors such as medications, age, and diet habits. Beverages like alcohol and caffiene have a weakning effect on the spincter. Smoking also has a similar effect.
Preventions of GERD include regularly visiting the dentist to detect such issues. The dentist can try to restore most surfaces and reffer to a doctor or dietition. They can make changes to the clients diet or medications to reduce the GERD.
If you have any questions or want more information, we invite you to call our team at The Smile Team in Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, today at 416-546-5599. We look forward to helping you in any way we can, and we thank you for the opportunity!