Why can brushing your teeth too hard damage them, but the sharp metal points dentists use to scrape enamel off don’t?

Question

Why can brushing your teeth too hard damage them, but the sharp metal points dentists use to scrape enamel off don’t?

In: Other

Answer 1

The angle they’re used at makes a huge difference.

Consider a razor blade and glass:

* You can point the blade directly towards the glass and make a huge gouge in it
* You can lie the blade almost flat and use it to remove a sticker without any noticeable damage to the glass