Enamel

Question: Enamel.....? I havent been to the dentist for a while. I was bulimic for 3 years and i also have my tongue pierced, so in fear of the dentist finding out i was bulimic i havent went for a while. The enamel on my teeth is alomost gone....well i can tell i dont have much. i have also chipped my tooth with my tongue ring a while back. i brush, floss, and use mouthwash daily......but will my teeth rot due to the lack of enamel if i keep brushing them? i am going to the dentist, i just want to know before hand if i will have rotting teeth. i have alot of sensitivity in them, and i am scared.....will my teeth rot?

Answer: Dear KJ, In some respects I am like yourself, a bulimic who has binged and purged their way through many a tough times. I'm a recovering bulimic, but so are we all (even in times when we're three years past our last episode, we're still bulimics in recovery) when it comes to this disease. You may have erred (wrongly) by not telling your dentist, but you're on the road to recovery now and wanting to seek medical advice, good for you. Your dentist will likely provide you with adequate information upon your arrival, with LITTLE to no skirting around the issue -- but that's what you need to hear, the truth. You will garner A LOT of sympathy and support from someone if you are upfront, forthcoming and not duplicitous. Give him (or her) the exact analogue of what you've been through, and remember not to keep ANYTHING back. Will your teeth rot without enamel? Yes, because underneath that enamel is your dentin, an area of the tooth that has little protection against acid wear. You need to remineralize your tooth enamel immediately, the need is obviously apparent. You can purchase over the counter toothpastes which are high in fluoride (I suggest prevident), which will remineralize your teeth. I suggest you also eat foods that are high in calcium, such as cheese and dairy products. Good oral hygiene is what may have protected you up until now, but I cannot be for certain. I'm hoping for the best as I'm an optimist.

Question: Can a pin hole in the enamel on enamel-coated cast iron cookware cause enamel to crack? We just got a shipment of enamel-coated cast iron cookware today and the skillet seems to have unfinished enamel on it. There's a small, pin-sized hole on the bottom on the inside. We were wondering if anything could get between the enamel and the cast iron or if it might chip at a later date? Or any other problems it might cause? Please let us know if we need to return the product.

Answer: I would return it. Once a chip or opening occurs on enamel coated cookware,rust will start forming, and continue to form. Resulting in an on going rust,and chipping off of the enamel.Can you understand this? Maybe it just sounds funny, but that is what happens. Byee

Question: How do you remove oil enamel paint from wood? I had a 'portable closet' made of wood that I painted with an oil enamel paint. I made a mistake and tried to paint a coat over the area I messed up and made things worse. It seems like I will need to remove the paint off the section of wood now and repaint it. How would I go about removing that oil enamel paint? Sandpaper? If sandpaper, considering how thick the paint is, would I need to use a fine or coarse grain? Any other suggestions from someone experienced with this would be very welcomed and appreciated.

Answer: A heatgun will lift the paint off. Chemicals may cause the paint to soak into the wood and stain it.

Question: How do I get rid of the enamel spray paint smell from my project? I bought some metallic enamel spray from the craft dept in a store for my project. I painted a belt metallic for a project and it smells like enamel really bad. I don't want it to smell like enamel while wearing it at a party. What can I do?

Answer: Place it in the HOT-sunshine..it should be free of odor in about 4-hours.. === Paint can contain-LEAD(Pb)..don't let that belt touch your bare skin.

Question: What can be used to remove enamel paint from plastic models? I used enamel paints (Testors) to paint a couple of model kits. I want to repaint them. What can be used to remove enamel besides thinner? I'm looking for a substance in which I can leave the parts submerged overnight.

Answer: Do NOT get those models NEAR nail-polish remover !! That acetone will melt the plastic !! The standard technique is to soak the model (after you remove clear-parts) in brake fluid, usually overnight. Make SURE you wear gloves and safety glasses. I've done this with a few dozen models I built decades ago as well as some I've gotten at garage sales.

Question: is it safe to use an enamel saucepan to make cold process soap? I am making soap for the first time, and I wanted to use an old enamel saucepan....I know you can't use aluminium, is enamel safe?

Answer: Absolutely! Enamel is hard and won't absorb or leach like other finishes.

Question: What ingredient in teeth whiteners wears down enamel? I use Crest Whitening strips once a year, and lately I've been using their whitening mouthwash twice a day as recammended. I hear all these stories about how you can ruin your enamel by using whitening products and I was wondering what it actually is in the products that wears at the enamel and if it something I should be concerned about.

Answer: Carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide are the chemicals in whitening products which are acidic and in high concentrations demineralize (erode or roughen) the enamel. Some of these bleaching agents are advertising concentrations up to 35%! These can definitely sensitize and damage the teeth. Crest Whitening strips are a safe and reputable product which have been clinically tested to not damage the teeth. Their concentration, over-the-counter, is under 6%. You have nothing to worry about. The Crest Whitestrips are perfectly safe to use twice a year.

Question: Can I apply clear enamel as a final finish over a coloring enamel? I applied Rust-o-leum's gloss protective enamel on my bike frame but the gloss on that might not be the shine I want but is the correct color. Can I sand off the shine from the finish and go over the dull finish with a clear enamel? Thanks in advance!

Answer: Emery paper referred to is often called 'wet or dry' and a 600 grit would be good.

Question: How can you tell the difference between loss of tooth enamel and staining? I have some marks on my front teeth that sound like tooth enamel loss. However, they have come on quite quickly (over a few months). How can I tell if this is staining from tea and coffee or tooth enamel loss? Can enamel loss happen that quickly?

Answer: here is a site that answers all med questions http://www.webmd.com/ they have an excellent forum

Question: How long does it take enamel paint to dry? I'm a bit worried that the metal frame i painted yesterday will stay wet. It's red enamel paint. It's been on for nearly 24 hours and is still quite wet.

Answer: you must have applied it too thick--most oil base enamels should be dry in 24 hours--but as was said humidity and temperature will affect drying time---latex enamel should should dry in 4 to 6 hours

Question: How do you strengthen the enamel on your teeth? My girlfriend who is 21, and drinks milk on a regular basis has chipped her front enamel on her lower two front teeth, She has done this before, she uses enamel strengthening toothpaste. She has not had a cleaning in about a year. Any types to help strengthen teeth and the enamel?

Answer: Fluoride toothpastes and rinses strengthen teeth -but should not be used in excess because of a condition called hyper fluoridosis which actually weakens the teeth.. 6-month cleanings certainly help, but she might want to consult with her dentist about the various options.

Question: What is the difference between enamel paint and acrylic paint? What is the basic difference between yesterdays enamel automotive paint and todays acrylic paint. Would you maintain both the same way? What would you do different?

Answer: It depends on the brand of paint and what state you live in. Different states allow different chemicals in paints. "Yesterdays Enamel" as you call it is probably a synthetic (straight enamel) which is a less durable and less glossy paint. It is most commonly used on equipment because it is less expensive. Synthetic enamel is more difficult to spray. Acrylic enamel is much better, easy to use paint.

Question: How do you remove the enamel from an insulated wire? My old ear buds are not working, but they are really comfortable. So I cut one that worked, and put it on my old ones. But they only make a connection at the very tips of the wires. I've tried using steel wool, but it didn't work. What is the easiest way to remove the enamel from a wire? Is their some sort of chemical that would dissolve it without dissolving the whole wire?

Answer: Scrape it with a knife, hold a match to it and burn off the enamel, try acetone or fingernail polish remover

Question: How can I clean a white enamel sink that has ground in grime? The house we've moved to has a white enamel kitchen sink. It's really dirty looking. I've tried soft scrub and the scrubbing bubbles stuff and it hasn't worked. We have really hard water here. Any ideas?

Answer: We also have a white enameled sink. I use either Comet or Ajax. If that doesn't work I've used Kaboom! that stuff is awesome, just spray it, leave it sit a while, scrub it off, rinse and voila! As a back up I use plain old bleach, spray that on and leave it sit for about 1/2 hour and just rinse. Out of the 3 I usually go for the easiest, and that would be the bleach.

Question: What is the difference between human and animal tooth enamel? Once chipped accidently or be the anomalies ,human enamel cannot be regenerated unlike the enamel of other animals,dog for instance.I wld like to noe the reason,the difference to be precise!Thankyou!:)

Answer: The dogs and more so the rodents have continuous eruption of the teeth not due to growth of enamel but because of the recurring deposition of cementum layer.

Question: How to remove enamel from 14kt gold pendant? I have a 14kt leopard pendant that is covered in spotted enamel on the top.Is there any way I can remove the enamel at home? Can it be safely removed?

Answer: Soak it in lacquer thinner and scrub with an old toothbrush. Lacquer thinner will not hurt the gold, but will dissolve the enamel.

Question: How can you restore enamel in front teeth? Okay, I am going to explain what type of enamel I have. I mean in front teeth at the bottom, you can see through a bit in closeup. So is there any treatment to restore (or fill) the lost enamel in front teeth?

Answer: My dentist said there is no way to replace lost enamel. They can put things over the tooth to help with sensitivity or looks, but once enamel is gone, you can't get it back. He told me to drink pop through a straw if I was going to drink it, this would help by not wearing away the enamel with the acid in pop. Watch what you drink, that could be the culprit.

Question: How do you fix jewelry enamel that has been damaged by the baking soda, aluminum, and water cleaning method? I wanted to clean my silver jewelry and found this great method. I didn't realize the enamel in one of my rings would have such a violent reaction, and now it's a cloudy color and comes off on whatever touches it. Is there a way to fix it, or do I have to redo the enamel entirely? If so, what's the best way to do that?

Answer: i always apply clear nail polish to my costume jewelry when it strts loosing its shine and it works great .it also keeps the new jewelry from changing color over time..

Question: What is a good brush for painting enamel? Im painting a metal cabinet with oil based enamel. I want to have a nice, smooth surface with no brush marks, what would be a good type of brush for doing so? It has to be a bristle type brush, not a foam brush. how good would a purdy white china brush be?

Answer: very good pick

Question: How to make teeth whiter without ruining enamel? I drink a lot of tea and coke, so my teeth are getting a little yellow. Is there any way to make teeth whiter without ruining the enamel or spending a lot of money? Thanks!

Answer: To my understanding, just brush your teeth with whitening products every 12 hours and you will be fine. I can't imagine Enamel being ruined with proper care.