Sensitive Teeth?
Tooth sensitivity is a common dental problem that involves discomfort or pain in teeth when encountering certain substances and temperatures. Read on to learn more about managing your sensitive teeth so you can enjoy the foods you love!
What Causes Sensitive Teeth?
Dentine hypersensitivity, or tooth sensitivity is a condition that can develop over time, as a result of common problems such as receding gums and enamel wear. Most sufferers are between 20 and 50 years old. Tooth sensitivity can start to happen when the softer, inner part of the tooth called ‘dentine’ becomes exposed. Dentine lies under the enamel and the gums.
Thousands of microscopic channels run through the dentine towards the centre of the tooth. Once the dentine is exposed, external triggers (such as a cold drink) can stimulate the nerves inside the tooth, resulting in the characteristic short, sharp pain of tooth sensitivity.
Only a dentist can confirm you have dentine hypersensitivity. If you are experiencing any dental problems, always consult your dentist for advice. If you have dentine hypersensitivity, you can help to minimise further exposure of the dentine, care for your sensitive teeth and relieve the painful symptoms by making some simple changes to your daily oral care routine and dietary habits.
Why Do My Teeth Hurt?
If you’ve ever winced after an unwelcome twinge of tooth sensitivity, you’re not the only one. But remember, there can be many different causes of dental pain, other than tooth sensitivity. So if you are feeling any tooth pain or discomfort, especially if it persists, the best thing you can do is visit your dentist and seek professional advice
Common Triggers for Sensitive Teeth
A range of things can trigger a twinge or tooth pain for people with sensitive teeth. Here’s some of the most common triggers for tooth sensitivity:
- Eating cold food or drinking cold drinks
- Eating hot food or drinking hot drinks
- Eating sugary or sour foods
- Breathing in cold air
- Brushing teeth
How Should I Treat Sensitive Teeth?
After discovering you have tooth sensitivity, it’s a natural next step to want to know what you can do about it. Talk to your dentist about what has caused you to have this problem, what you can do to relieve it and how to help prevent it from getting worse. They can advise you on the most suitable oral care routine for someone with sensitive teeth, the best toothbrushing technique for you, how often and when. In addition, you can relieve the painful symptoms of tooth sensitivity by changing your regular toothpaste to a daily use toothpaste specially formulated to care for sensitive teeth, such as Sensodyne.
