When you have teeth sensitivity, eating and drinking certain foods and beverages can be unpleasant. Hot, cold, spicy and acidic foods and beverages can cause sudden pain when you consume them. You might also experience pain and discomfort when your teeth are exposed to cold air. Whether it’s mild or severe, this sensitivity can affect your daily life. Learn more about what causes sensitive teeth and what you can do about this problem.
Causes of Teeth Sensitivity
Your teeth have a protective cover on them called tooth enamel. Below the enamel, your teeth have dentin, which is a layer that contains many tiny tubes that lead to the nerves inside your teeth. When something causes your tooth enamel to wear away, your teeth can become sensitive to heat, cold and other sensations. These sensations are able to easily travel to the nerves inside your teeth through dentin tubules.
What might cause your tooth enamel to wear away? There are several possible reasons that this can end up happening. You might lose tooth enamel due to any of the following causes.
Tooth Decay
Tooth decay or cavities can wear away the enamel on your teeth. As these cavities get worse, they can lead to sensitivity in the affected teeth.
Damaged or Worn Tooth Fillings
Tooth fillings can wear away over time or become damaged. If this happens, heat, cold and other sensations can get to the dentin layer of your tooth more easily.
Tooth Enamel Erosion
Dental problems and poor dental hygiene can cause your tooth enamel to wear away over the years. This leaves more dentin exposed, which increases your risk of having tooth sensitivity.
Tooth Injuries
Fractures in your teeth can affect the enamel that protects them. If you have cracks or gaps in your tooth, this can make it easy for sensations to reach the dentin on your teeth.
Gum Disease
Gum disease can cause the roots of your teeth to become exposed over time as your gums gradually recede. Exposed tooth roots mean that heat, cold and other sensations can cause an intense reaction, such as a sudden and severe pain.
Treatment for Teeth Sensitivity
What can you do about sensitive teeth? You don’t have to keep dealing with unpleasant condition. Your dentist can provide you with treatment that eases this sensitivity, so that you can enjoy your favorite foods and drinks again. Your dentist might also recommend changes at home, such as limiting or avoiding acidic foods and drinks that can wear away tooth enamel. Some other ways to ease sensitive teeth include the following.
Special Toothpaste
Your dentist might recommend switching to a desensitizing toothpaste and other dental products that provide this same effect. These products are made for people who have sensitive teeth. They can help block the nerve signals that are associated with pain and discomfort in your teeth.
Fluoride
Making your tooth enamel stronger can help reduce tooth sensitivity. Your dentist might recommend having fluoride treatment done, which involves having fluoride applied to your teeth. Fluoride helps strengthen tooth enamel and protects it from damage.
Dental Bonding
If you have exposed tooth roots, your dentist might recommend undergoing dental bonding. This procedure involves having bonding resin put on the surfaces of tooth roots to cover them up.
Gum Grafts
If you have gum disease, your dentist might recommend a surgical gum graft that replaces lost gum tissue. This can help with exposed tooth roots that lead to teeth sensitivity.
If you’ve been dealing with teeth sensitivity, please contact Arvada Dental Center to schedule an appointment.
