Do you feel a sharp pain when you drink cold water or eat ice cream? Does brushing your teeth sometimes cause discomfort? These may be symptoms of teeth sensitivity.
It is a common dental problem that can make routine daily activities uncomfortable. However, with the right care and treatment, you can minimise the pain and protect your teeth.
In some cases, even breathing cold air through your mouth can trigger pain. The discomfort is often sudden and lasts for a short time.
Your tooth has a hard outer shell called enamel. Under it sits dentin, which has tiny channels that lead to the nerve. When enamel wears away or your gums pull back, these channels open. That is when teeth sensitivity starts, because heat, cold, and acid can reach the nerve.
Why Teeth Sensitivity Causes
There are a few reasons why teeth sensitivity occurs: Read the issues below.
1. You Brush Too Much Hard
Several times, tooth sensitivity arises from brushing with too much force or using a hard-bristled toothbrush.
Over time, you can use down the protective layers of your teeth and show microscopic hollow tubes or canals that point to your dental nerves.
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When these tubes are exposed to extreme temperatures or acidic or glutinous foods, tooth sensitivity and pain can occur. The easiest solution is to turn to a toothbrush with softer bristles and to be more sensitive when brushing.
2. Eating Too Many Acidic Foods
If the pathways to your nerves are exposed, acidic foods such as tomato sauce, lemon, grapefruit, kiwi, and pickles can create pain. But avoiding these foods can aid you in preventing any tooth pain. Acidic foods can strengthen enamel reduction.
Regular exposure to acid can slowly wear down the enamel. As a result, your teeth may become more sensitive.
3. Using a Tooth-Whitening Toothpaste
Several manufacturers combine tooth-whitening chemicals to their toothpaste formulas, and some people are extra sensitive to them than others. If your toothpaste includes whitening agents, consider changing to one that doesn’t have tooth-whitening chemicals.
4. Using Mouthwash Liquids
Like whitening toothpaste with chemicals, some mouthwashes and rinses include alcohol and different chemicals that can cause your teeth to be more sensitive, especially if your dentin is shown. Alternatively, try neutral fluoride rinses or skip the rinse and be more careful about flossing and brushing.
5. Teeth and Gum Disease
Gum recession, which is common with age, especially if you have not taken care of your dental health, may cause sensitivity.
Gum disease and gingivitis are conditions in which the gums around the teeth are inflamed. If this scenario is the case with you, your dentist will take up a plan to tackle the root cause of the problem.
6. Cracked or Chipped Teeth
A cracked tooth may cause pain that is similar to tooth sensitivity. Your dentist may want to take up an x-ray of your tooth and determine the right treatment course, which may be a crown or an extraction.
If you have a tooth that causes you pain when you bite something, you should consult a dentist. Depending on the condition of your tooth, your dentist may restore it using a filling, bonding, or a crown.
7. Cavities and Tooth Decay
One of the causes of tooth decay is the presence of bacteria in your mouth that produces acid.
The first stage of tooth decay may not cause you any pain. However, as decay progresses to the next stage, that is, to the soft inner layer of the tooth, called dentin, you may start feeling pain.
Tooth sensitivity may cause you pain when you drink something cold or when you eat sweets. To assess your condition and suggest an appropriate treatment, you should consult a dentist.
Tooth Sensitivity Treatment
The treatment of tooth sensitivity depends on what is causing the problem. A dentist will examine your teeth and gums to identify the problem.
Here are some common treatment options.
1. Use of Desensitizing Toothpaste
Toothpastes containing potassium nitrate or stannous fluoride are available over the counter. They work by calming the nerve response or blocking the tiny passageways in dentin. Use as directed on the label. A few weeks of regular use may improve symptoms. Continued use may be needed to control pain.
2. Professional Fluoride Treatment
If fluoride is not available in the toothpaste you use, your dentist may apply fluoride gel or varnish. As discussed, fluoride helps strengthen the enamel and provides relief from pain. This treatment also protects the tooth from caries.
This treatment is beneficial in restoring enamel that is worn down to the level of dentin.
3. Dental Bonding
Dental bonding is also recommended when pain is caused by exposed roots. This treatment covers the roots and gives relief.
Bonding is used to improve the appearance of a discoloured or chipped tooth, to close a space between teeth, or to make a tooth longer.
4. Dental Filling or Crown
A dental filling is required to treat a cavity, damage or a crack in the tooth. A damaged area is repaired with a filling, while a crown covers and protects a larger area of the tooth.
Your dentist may suggest a crown if the damage is large and there is a risk of further breakdown of the tooth.
5. Gum Treatment
Treatment of gum disease involves both non-surgical and surgical procedures to eliminate the cause of the infection and reduce inflammation.
Depending on the circumstances, your dentist may suggest a professional cleaning or other gum treatments.
If the gum recession is extreme, a gum graft may be done to cover the root.
6. Root Canal Treatment
The pain is due to the inner pulp of the tooth being inflamed or infected.
In this treatment, the inflamed or infected pulp is removed, the tooth is cleaned and disinfected, and the tooth’s inner canal is sealed.
This treatment may also be needed to address other problems with the nerve and pulp of the tooth.
When to Consult a Dentist?
You should consult a dentist for tooth pain that lasts or keeps coming back.
Sensitivity may be the first sign of a cavity, gum disease or infection.
You should see a dentist for pain that is limited to one tooth.
- See a dentist for sudden, severe pain that is limited to one tooth.
- Pain that limits your ability to bite or chew.
- If your gums are swollen or painful, see a dentist.
If you have facial swelling and a fever, see a dentist for an abscessed tooth. Tooth infections and abscesses may cause difficulty in swallowing and breathing.
Early treatment can avoid a small dental problem from becoming large and complicated.
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