Enamel Erosion — A Different Problem from Decay
Erosion is increasingly common and is often confused with decay.
How erosion develops
Enamel loses mineral on direct contact with acid, without any bacteria involved. Saliva later neutralises it and some mineral returns, but with frequent, prolonged contact loss exceeds gain and enamel thins permanently. Enamel cannot be regrown.
How to recognise it
- Increasing sensitivity to cold and sweet
- Translucency at the biting edges of the front teeth
- Loss of gloss and a matt appearance
- Flattening of the chewing surfaces of the back teeth
- Fillings appearing to stand proud of the tooth surface
- Teeth looking yellower as the dentine beneath shows through
Other sources of acid
Citrus is not the only source: carbonated and energy drinks, vinegar-based dressings and some herbal teas are acidic too. Acid can also come from inside — reflux brings stomach acid into the mouth and causes a characteristic pattern of wear.
Protecting the Enamel
None of this requires giving up citrus; the aim is to manage the duration and frequency of contact.
Do not brush immediately afterwards
This is the most overlooked and most damaging habit. Enamel is temporarily softened right after acid contact, and brushing then abrades it mechanically. Rinse with water first and wait a while before brushing.
Shortening the contact
Finishing juice reasonably quickly rather than sipping it over a long period reduces total acid exposure, and taking fruit with meals helps because saliva flow is higher. Sipping an acidic drink through the day is the most damaging pattern.
Strengthening the enamel
Fluoride strengthens enamel against acid attack, and professionally applied gel or varnish gives far greater protection than toothpaste. Use a soft brush and avoid hard brushing, which accelerates loss on already thinned enamel.
Treating advanced erosion
Lost enamel cannot be regrown, but progression can be halted and the tissue restored. Limited loss is repaired with composite bonding, which cuts no tooth; extensive loss may need onlays or crowns.
Coming to the Clinic from Finike
The distance to central Antalya is considerable, and planning reduces the travel burden.
Which neighbourhoods we see patients from
There is a difference in distance between the town and coastal band and the agricultural interior; Turuncova and Sahilkent are the main settlements outside the centre.
- the central neighbourhoods
- Turuncova
- Sahilkent
- Hasyurt
- Kum
- Iskele
- Yesilyurt
- Alacadag
- Gokbuk
- Dagbag
- Arif
Concentrating appointments
Say where you are coming from and a longer slot can be allocated. This helps particularly with erosion: bonding on several teeth can usually be completed in one session, since there is no laboratory stage.
Do not wait in an emergency
Facial swelling, difficulty swallowing or breathing, inability to open the mouth and fever are serious, and distance is not a reason to wait. We are open 24/7.
Root Canal Treatment: When It Is Needed and How It Proceeds
Root canal treatment aims to keep a tooth in the mouth rather than extracting it when decay or trauma has reached the dental nerve.
When Does the Dental Nerve Need Treatment?
The pulp tissue at the centre of the tooth contains vessels and nerves. When decay passes through enamel and dentine and reaches this tissue, or when the tooth is damaged by trauma, the pulp becomes inflamed. Pain that increases with heat, starts spontaneously and wakes the patient at night is a typical sign.
As the inflammation advances, the pain may stop after a while; this is not recovery but the tissue losing its vitality. At this stage bacteria pass from the root tip into the surrounding bone and form a focus of infection seen as a dark area at the root tip on a radiograph. Root canal treatment is the cleaning of the inflamed tissue, the filling of the canal space and the elimination of the source of that focus.
How Many Sessions Does Root Canal Treatment Take?
The number of sessions depends on the number of roots, the degree of inflammation and the condition of the tissue at the root tip. In many single-rooted teeth with limited inflammation the treatment can be completed in one session. If there is an established focus of infection at the root tip, an interim medicament may be placed and a second session planned.
For patients coming from Finike we plan the sessions with the travel distance in mind. Where the work can be finished in a single session we complete it the same day, and when an additional session is needed we arrange the appointments close together so that they can be combined with other procedures during the day. Planning the restoration of the treated tooth is also assessed at the same visit.
Points to Watch After Root Canal Treatment
- Being aware that mild tenderness on biting may occur in the first days
- Not chewing hard foods with a tooth whose restoration is not yet complete
- Reporting promptly if the temporary filling falls out
- Not postponing the recommended crown or filling
- Continuing to clean the root-treated tooth with brush and floss
- Contacting the clinic in case of swelling or increasing pain
- Attending the follow-up examination at the recommended time for a control radiograph
Filling Options and the Lifespan of a Restoration
Which restoration suits a tooth is determined by how much tissue has been lost and by the load the tooth carries during chewing.
When Is a Composite Filling Enough?
Composite is a tooth-coloured filling material that is placed in the cavity and hardened with light. It is a suitable choice for small and medium-sized cavities as long as the tooth's own walls remain intact. It allows only the lost portion to be replaced while preserving healthy tissue.
The success of the filling depends on isolating the area from saliva and moisture during placement, which is why isolation is taken seriously. Composite can be matched to the natural shade of the tooth and is therefore also used in the front region; however, in very large losses of structure it cannot provide sufficient durability on its own.
Situations That Require a Crown Rather Than a Filling
If one or more walls of the tooth have been lost, the remaining tissue becomes prone to fracture under chewing forces. In such cases a restoration that distributes those forces over the tooth is required. Laboratory-made inlays and onlays are preferred for moderate losses, and a full crown when protection covering the whole tooth is needed.
Root-treated back teeth are the group in which this decision is most often made; as their blood supply has changed they are more brittle, and a restoration covering the cusps reduces the risk of fracture. The decision is made by assessing the number of remaining walls, the position in the bite and the load coming from the opposing tooth.
Factors That Determine How Long a Filling Lasts
- A junction between filling margin and tooth smooth enough not to retain plaque
- A correctly adjusted bite so that the filling is not overloaded
- The presence of a clenching or grinding habit
- Regular cleaning between the teeth
- The frequency of acidic drinks and foods
- The size of the filling and how much sound wall remains
- Early detection of marginal leakage at regular check-ups
For Those Searching for a Dental Polyclinic from Finike
Some patients from Finike search for a 'dental polyclinic' rather than a 'dental clinic'; the difference between the two is a licence class rather than a ranking of quality, and it determines what may be done.
What it means in practice for a patient from Finike
For a patient coming from Finike it means this: surgery, root canal treatment, prosthetics and orthodontics are all carried out at one address, so you do not go to three separate places. Given the distance of about 117 kilometres between Finike and the clinic, that difference directly reduces the number of journeys. The distinction between licence classes is set out in detail on our dental polyclinic page.
