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One of the most curious questions asked about the human body is: What is the hardest substance in the human body?
Most people expect it to be a bone or muscle, but the answer is always surprising since the human body is an exciting place full of wonder and mystery.
Understanding various parts of the human body and their condition is essential so you can take better care of them.
This article will focus on the hardest part of the body to outline its role and the best way to keep it in the best shape. Let’s go under the microscope and learn;
What Is The Hardest Substance In The Human Body?
The tooth enamel is the hardest substance produced in the human body. It is the outermost part of the tooth, protecting the inner, more sensitive areas from physical damage.
The enamel is also hard to allow easier crushing of our food to make digestion easier. It has no living tissues; thus, it is one solid, rigid unit in the mouth.
Understanding More About the Tooth Enamel
The enamel is an integral part of the human body since it keeps us alive. It’s the white surface of our teeth that allows us to chew and take hot drinks without burning the nerves in our teeth.
The enamel is tough primarily because of its composition and structure. It is mainly made of hydroxyapatite but has magnesium, carbonate, sodium, and fluoride. The enamel is semi-translucent; therefore, its appearance can vary.
Primarily, it is white, but it can range from light yellow to gray-white for healthy people. The enamel is an essential part of your dental health but is only one of many factors that affect the color of your teeth.
It is a thick armor for fragile teeth, dentin, and pulp areas. It is the most crucial defense against tooth decay, and its damage can lead to temperature sensitivities, tooth decay, and other infections.
Tooth decay is one of the most common dental conditions worldwide, showing how much people look out for the enamel.
Protecting your enamel should be a priority for your dental routine since it can be destroyed, and your body won’t replace it.
It doesn’t have any living cells; therefore, it cannot regenerate. The best you can do is get artificial fillings from a dentist, but prevention is better than this.
What Causes Enamel Erosion
The best way to protect your enamel and keep your oral hygiene at its best is to understand its threats.
The enamel might be the toughest part of the human body, but it is not indestructible. The biggest concern for the enamel is erosion, which causes it to waste away.
It often happens when acids burn part of the enamel on the teeth and reduce its thickness. This exposes the inner components of the teeth, which cause pain and difficulty eating. Here are some causes of enamel erosion;
- Taking too many soft drinks with phosphoric and citric acid. The enamel is tough enough to withstand mild acids in soft drinks, so they aren’t a direct threat. They will, however, help the bacteria in your mouth thrive as there will be more sugar.
These bacteria will eat away at your enamel and cause cavities, which will be much worse if you don’t regularly clean your teeth. Some acids in fruit drinks are highly corrosive and will burn your enamel, especially if you don’t clean your teeth after taking them.
- Sour foods and candies. The sour taste of foods and sweets comes from them having acidic properties. When you chew them, they remain in the enamel and continue burning even after eating.
- Dry mouth or reduced saliva flow. Saliva is basic, and it naturally cleans your mouth and keeps acids at a safe level. Your mouth’s acidity will not be balanced if you don’t have enough saliva to wash away the leftover food.
- Diets with a lot of starch and sugar. Starch and sugar will make the mouth more suitable for bacteria, which will eat away at your enamel.
- Acid reflux disease or heartburn. These conditions will bring stomach acids to the moth, which can burn the enamel and cause permanent damage. Medication like aspirin, antihistamines, and vitamin C can also adversely affect the enamel.
- Alcohol abuse. Most of the time, people vomit after taking a lot of alcohol. Vomit carries acids from the stomach to the mouth, which wear out the enamel and encourage bacterial activity.
- Genetics and environmental factors. Some people have weaker enamels because they inherited the trait from their parents. Environmental factors like wear and tear, chewing friction, and stress could also erode the enamel.
How To Strengthen The Enamel
The enamel plays a critical role in human life, so you must learn the best practices to keep it healthy and thick.
This will allow you to chew hard foods well into your old age, and you won’t have to deal with pain when eating, so let’s get into it;
- Brush your teeth twice a day. Brush your teeth to remove bacteria, tartar, and plaque from your teeth’ surface to reduce the risk of enamel loss. Clean your teeth in the morning and evening or after sugary foods and drinks.
- Floss regularly. Debris, plaque, and bacteria hide in the nooks between your teeth, which you can’t get to with a toothbrush. Floss between your teeth to eliminate all the food stuck in there for healthy teeth.
- Use fluoride toothpaste. Choose a fluoride toothpaste, as it will strengthen and re-mineralize your enamel with every brush. Look for the ADA seal of acceptance when shopping, as it ensures the product is safe and effective.
- Use a soft-bristled toothbrush. Avoid brushes with stiff bristles, as they are too rough, and scrub your enamel off. Be gentle when brushing since you could damage your enamel or gums if you brush too hard.
- Use a straw when drinking acidic beverages. Drinking with straws delivers the drinks to the back of the mouth, which minimizes contact with the teeth. Rinse your mouth with water or mouthwash afterward to remove the sugar and acid.
- Stay hydrated. Drinking water helps wash away plaque, food particles, and bacteria from your teeth. It can also help increase the saliva levels in your mouth, which will help those with dry mouth.
- Get treatment for underlying conditions. Solving the medical causes of enamel erosion will help you keep your teeth healthier. These include dry mouth, bulimia nervosa, and GERD.
- Wear a mouth guard when you sleep. This is the solution for those who grind their teeth in their sleep. Buy over-the-counter mouthguards from pharmacies or get a custom guard from a dentist.
- Chew sugar-free gum. Sugar-free gum will help increase saliva production to keep your teeth clean and the enamel healthy. Get gum that has xylitol, which is a natural sugar alcohol that prevents cavities.
What Are Other Strong Parts Of The Human Body?
The human body is a fantastic organism with many vital elements that sustain it. Various body parts have different strength and elasticity levels and work together to facilitate human life. Here are some details on the hardest parts of the human body;
1. Bones
Bones are extremely tough, and research has proven that they are tougher than concrete. Most people wrongly assume they are the hardest part of the body. The jawbone and femur are the most robust bones in the body.
Most of the bone structure comprises calcium phosphate in two major categories. Cortical bone tissue is dense and makes up the bone’s outer layer. Trabecular bone tissue, like a honeycomb, is spongy and makes up the bones’ inner part.
2. Muscles
Human muscles have thousands of string flexible fibers that help move the bones. The fibers are bound together in tight groups, contributing to their strength. Muscle fibers have muscle cells that control physical forces with them.
When combined, the muscles contract and relax in coordinated patterns to help move the body.
3. Ligaments
Ligaments are bands of string elastic tissue that join bones to each other around joints and give them support. These are around our knees, ankles, elbows, shoulders, and other joints and are like robes that keep your muscles from overextending their reach.
4. Tendons
Tendons are made of connective collagen fibers that link muscles to the bones. They have fewer blood vessels than muscles but are more flexible than ligaments. They are all over the body and operate as levers to move the bones as muscles contract and expand.
Conclusion
Your mystery has been solved. If you were wondering, what is the hardest substance in the human body? The human body is full of secrets and unique features, but the toughness of the enamel is outstanding.
It allows us to chew through nearly everything, and the strong jawbone generates the power we need. It is crucial to human life, so you ought to take every necessary step to clean and preserve your enamel so it can protect your teeth.
