At this point I think we both know that I am a pretty popular bacteria. I reside inside everyones oral cavity, and the damage I can do is well known all over the world. Dentists don't like me very much, and you probably don't either. But I like me and that's all that really matters, right?
I have this friend, her name is Heather, she's pretty awesome but she has what are known as "soft teeth" and because of that she can get cavities a lot easier than people who have "hard teeth". She brushes them regularly and takes great care of them but that doesn't stop me from taking over sometimes.
If a person has "hard teeth" they can appear to be yellow in color. This doesn't mean your teeth are dirty, in fact it could mean that they are healthier than white teeth. The yellow color means that you have a thicker enamel which is harder for me to adhere myself too. Whiter teeth are the opposite and that makes them easier for me to stick onto and cause problems despite a person having a good oral hygiene routien.
Now, dentists don't typically use the term “soft teeth” regularly but it is a way that can describe a person who does have weaker teeth. What can cause "soft teeth" on a person you ask? There are a couple things that some dentists have factored in to be a cause of having weaker teeth. One of them obviously being poor dental hygiene, however there are other things that can be the cause of this. Trauma, dental decay, or other factor leading to an infection of the baby tooth preceding the adult tooth can have a serious affect on a persons teeth and how strong they are. Fevers have been known to affect a person's tooth strength even if it is a short period of time. Malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies, hormonal imbalances and even sometimes certain rare genetic conditions can play a huge role in someones mouth, more specifically their teeth. One last thing that you should look out for are high levels of fluoride (>5 ppm), this can also be a cause of having “soft” or “weaker” tooth enamel.
9) Hard Facts on Soft Teeth | Directions in Dentistry. (2015). Retrieved December 14, 2016, from http://directionsindentistry.net/hard-facts-soft-teeth/