Have you ever felt pain or discomfort after a bite of ice cream or a dose of warm soup? If so, you’re not alone. While pain triggered by hot or cold foods could be an indication of a tooth cavity, it’s likewise usual in individuals that have sensitive teeth.
Tooth sensitivity, or “dentin hypersensitivity,” is specifically what it sounds like: pain or discomfort in the teeth as a feedback to specific stimuli, such as hot or cold temperature levels.
It may be momentary or a persistent problem, and it can impact one tooth, several teeth, or all the teeth in a single individual. It can have a variety of various reasons, however many situations of sensitive teeth are quickly treated with a modification in your oral hygiene regimen.
Symptoms of Sensitive Teeth
Individuals with sensitive teeth might experience pain or pain as a feedback to particular triggers. You may feel this pain at the origins of the influenced teeth. One of the most usual triggers include:
- warm foods and drinks
- cold foods and drinks
- cold air
- wonderful foods and beverages
- acidic foods and drinks
- cold water, especially during regular dental cleansings
- cleaning or flossing teeth
- alcohol-based mouth rinses
Your symptoms might reoccur over time for no apparent factor. They might vary from moderate to intense.
What Causes Sensitive Teeth?
Some individuals naturally have a lot more sensitive teeth than others as a result of having thinner enamel. The enamel is the outer layer of the tooth that shields it. In many cases, the tooth’s enamel can be worn down from:
- brushing your teeth as well hard
- using a difficult toothbrush
- grinding your teeth in the evening
- regularly consuming or drinking acidic foods and drinks
Occasionally, other conditions can cause tooth sensitivity. Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), for example, can create acid to find up from the stomach and esophagus, and may wear down teeth with time. Conditions that create constant vomiting — consisting of gastroparesis and bulimia — can also trigger acid to wear down the enamel.
Gum recession can leave areas of the tooth exposed and unprotected, additionally causing sensitivity.
Dental caries, busted teeth, broke teeth, and worn-down fillings or crowns can leave the dentin of the tooth exposed, triggering sensitivity. If this is the case, you’ll likely just feel sensitivity in one specific tooth or region in the mouth as opposed to the majority of teeth.
Your teeth may be temporarily sensitive adhering to dental work like obtaining fillings, crowns, or teeth bleaching. In this case, sensitivity will also be confined to one tooth or the teeth bordering the tooth that obtained dental work. This should go away after several days.
How are Sensitive Teeth Diagnosed?
Your dentist can consider the health of your teeth and look for potential issues like dental caries, loosened fillings, or recessed gums that could be triggering the sensitivity. Your dentist can do this during your regular dental cleansing. They’ll clean your teeth and do a visual test. They may touch your teeth utilizing dental tools to look for sensitivity, and they could also buy an X-ray on your teeth to eliminate reasons like tooth cavities.
How is Tooth Sensitivity Treated?
If your tooth sensitivity is moderate, you can try over the counter dental treatments.
Choose toothpaste that’s labeled as being particularly produced sensitive teeth. These toothpastes won’t have any type of bothersome components, and might have desensitizing ingredients that assist block the pain from traveling to the nerve of the tooth.
When it involves mouthwash, choose an alcohol-free mouth wash, as it will be much less irritating to sensitive teeth.
Making use of softer toothbrushes and cleaning a lot more carefully can additionally help. Soft toothbrushes will be classified therefore.
It normally takes several applications for these remedies to work. You must see an enhancement within a week.
If residence treatments don’t work, you can talk to your dentist about prescription toothpaste and mouthwash. They might also use fluoride gel or prescription-grade desensitizing representatives in-office. These can assist to reinforce the enamel and shield your teeth.
Treating Medical Conditions That Cause Tooth Sensitivity
If underlying conditions are creating your tooth sensitivity, you’ll wish to treat it prior to it triggers the enamel to wear down and harm the teeth.
GERD can be treated with acid reducers, and bulimia ought to be dealt with under an overseeing psychiatrist.
Declining gums can be dealt with by cleaning much more carefully and keeping excellent oral hygiene. In cases of intense sensitivity and pain because of extreme gum economic downturn, your dentist may recommend making use of a gum graft. This treatment entails taking tissue from the palate and positioning it over the root to shield the tooth.
You can educate yourself to quit clinching or grinding your teeth by being conscious not to do so throughout the day. Minimizing stress and caffeine prior to bed can likewise assist avoid you from grinding your teeth during the night. If this doesn’t work, you can use a mouthguard in the evening to stop the grinding from damaging your teeth.
What’s the Outlook for Tooth Sensitivity?
If your tooth sensitivity is making it tough to consume, talk to your dentist regarding locating a service. There are lots of toothpastes and mouthwashes made for sensitive teeth available over the counter.
If these aren’t reliable, talk to your dentist regarding prescription toothpaste and mouthwash. You must also make a visit with your dentist if you experience symptoms of cavities or potential origin damage so you can get treatment quickly and avoid difficulties. These symptoms may include:
- spontaneous tooth pain that takes place without an obvious cause
- tooth sensitivity localized to one tooth
- sharper pain rather than milder pain
- staining externally of your teeth
- pain when biting down or chewing