tooth enamel
1
4.1
- noun
- /tuːθ ɪˈnæməl/
- Specialized
:
esmalte dental
- The citric acid can erode tooth enamel, so you should monitor this.
- strengthen tooth enamel
- tooth enamel samples
- analysis of tooth enamel
Examples
-
I'm also a dentist, and the concern about the acid eroding tooth enamel is a valid point.
Blog text (12) -
The minerals in saliva help rebuild tooth enamel and prevent decay.
-
Did you know tooth enamel is harder than bone?
Fiction book (1993) -
Tooth enamel provides a daily record of growth up to the age of 13 to 15 years.
Academic text (2009) -
The buffering capacity of saliva protects tooth enamel and contributes to dental health.
Academic text (1999) -
Fluoride salts are used to enhance the strength of teeth by the formation of fluorapatite, a naturally occurring component of tooth enamel.
Blog text (18) -
Our saliva also reacts to the sugars in foods to produce acid that softens and eats away at our tooth enamel.
Blog text (14) -
She had no cavities and there were no signs of dental disease, a common killer, but the entire top layer of her tooth enamel had been worn down by the grit in Egyptian bread, made from stone-ground flour.
Academic text (2009) -
The acid in soda can dissolve tooth enamel and lead to tooth decay.
-
A large-headed brush can wear down your tooth enamel over time.
Synonyms
9
5.1
A hard white layer on a tooth that protects it
How Hard
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'the hard, white, outer layer that covers the crown of a tooth' is directly and compositionally derived from 'tooth' + 'enamel' — 'enamel' already denotes that hard outer layer and the compound simply specifies its relation to a tooth. This is a regular noun-noun combination found cross-linguistically, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand the phrase.
Etymology
The compound tooth enamel names the hard, shiny outer coat on a tooth, and enamel is like a little shell that covers the part you can see. So it means the 'hard outer layer' that protects the tooth from wear and decay.