Sensitive Teeth: Causes, Symptoms, Treatments
So far, you’ve been able to eat, drink, and be happy without having to think about your teeth. But suddenly, your teeth are making their presence felt with a shooting pain that flares up when you eat sweet or sour things or when your teeth come into contact with something hot or cold. What’s going on?
The Cause: Thinning Enamel or Exposed Dentin
Although tooth sensitivity could be the sign of a new cavity, you can have sensitive teeth without having any tooth decay. The hard tooth enamel usually protects the more sensitive dentin beneath it, but your tooth enamel can wear down over time. Here are some of the causes of sensitive teeth:
- Teeth grinding
- Years of overly hard tooth brushing
- Eating acidic foods and drinks
- Health conditions in which vomiting is frequent
- Tooth Decay
- Chipped or broken teeth
- Receding gums owing to gum disease
What Your Dentist Will Do
When a patient complains of tooth sensitivity, the first thing to do is to make certain that it isn’t being caused by decay, a broken tooth, a lost filling, or gum disease. If it is, we need to treat the problem to do away with the symptom.
If there are no signs of trouble other than sensitivity, we can help by prescribing special toothpaste for sensitive teeth. We’ll also recommend using a softer toothbrush and look at your tooth brushing technique.
If you are showing signs of being a nighttime tooth grinder, we will recommend that you wear a custom-made mouthguard at night to prevent the damage from going further. We might also recommend fluoride treatments since they help your teeth to form new enamel.
Severely Sensitive Teeth
As we pointed out earlier, your teeth can be sensitive without anything else being the matter with them. If your discomfort is relatively mild, you’ll get by with the help of special toothpaste. But if your teeth are severely sensitive, we will keep working with you until we have resolved the issue.
Although teeth sensitivity isn’t always the sign of other trouble, it usually is, and by tracking down the cause, we can address the issue. This might mean anything from gum disease treatment to a minor filling or a root canal treatment. In fact, there’s an excellent chance that we’ll be able to root out the cause of tooth sensitivity altogether.
Sensitive Teeth 101: First Find Out Why
Although there are many reasons why you might have sensitive teeth, experiencing tooth sensitivity is a clear message that it’s time you went to the dentist. You may be living with unnecessary discomfort that can be resolved in a few minutes with your dentist’s help. On the flipside, any problems that may be causing tooth sensitivity are likely to get worse if left untreated.
Once we know why your teeth are sensitive and where the sensitivity originates, we can make the right decisions for your long-term oral health. Don’t let it remain a mystery – make your appointment as soon as possible.
