Causes And Treatments Of Sensitive Teeth

If you have to give a pass to hot or cold drinks because you are afraid they’ll make your teeth hurt, it’s time to talk to your Campbelltown dentist about the possibility that you have sensitive teeth.

Sensitive teeth are aggravated by food temperature, which can also affect them, like sweet and sour foods or rapidly breathing in cold air.

To treat tooth sensitivity, knowing what is causing it in your particular case is necessary. Once we’ve determined the cause of your sensitivity, we can work with you to find a solution.

What Causes Sensitive Teeth?

In some ways, we should ask what doesn’t lead to tooth sensitivity. The fact is that our teeth can be sensitive to almost anything we do to them.

This includes not brushing enough, brushing too hard, sweet foods, acidic foods, sour foods, dirty teeth, dental cleaning, teeth-grinding, hard candies, etc.

This is why good dental care is so critical – it can head tooth sensitivity off in the past.

The best, cheapest, quickest, most painless treatment for tooth sensitivity is prevention, so keep up the good dental hygiene at home!

Here are some common causes of sensitivity:

• Teeth whitening or bleaching. It is perfectly normal for teeth to be sensitive or hurt for a few hours after treatment. This sensitivity usually occurs in smaller teeth, like the maxillary laterals or mandibular incisors. This sensitivity should go away within a few days. If it does not, see your dentist.
• Receding gums. Gums naturally recede as we age. This recession exposes the previously protected dentin. Gum disease has a similar receding effect, which varies in relationship to the particular patient and their condition.
• Acidic foods and mouthwash. This includes healthy foods such as oranges, grapefruits, and limes. Citric acids burn enamel away, and acidic mouthwashes can further upset sensitive teeth.
• Brushing too hard is a prevalent cause of sensitivity. In this case, you are working too hard on your dental hygiene. Harsh bristles that cause abrasion scrape the enamel right off the surface of your teeth.
• This includes chewing hard candies and ice, grinding your teeth, or failing to protect your teeth while playing sports. When impacts are hard enough, cracks result that expose the nerve endings in the tooth pulp. When the nerve endings touch things like food or other teeth chomping down, they react with sensitivity and pain.
• Sugary sodas. The byproducts of sugar, created by hungry bacteria eating the sugar, degrade enamel by softening it, leaving it vulnerable to injury. Low-sugar soda can help, but it is quite acidic. The best drink is water!

One last thing about the causes of tooth sensitivity – Seeking the cause of your condition is crucial if you experience it. Different causes may require other solutions.

What Can Be Done About Sensitive Teeth?

Several treatments are available which are just right for you, depending on your case.

Your treatment will be worked out in consultation with your A Plus Dental dentist.

And while we do relieve your pain, we also focus on getting to the root cause of the sensitivity/pain.

Everybody responds differently to different treatments, and if the reason for the sensitivity is addressed, the treatment will be more successful in decreasing sensitivity/pain.

The following are some at-home treatments for sensitive teeth:

• Desensitising toothpaste. There are several toothpastes designed for sensitive teeth. Your dentist might suggest a specific brand, or you can experiment with different ones to see which suits you best. Use toothpaste with fluoride for sensitive teeth, not the one for controlling tartar. Before going to bed, consider applying a thin layer of desensitising toothpaste on the exposed roots of your teeth.
• Use a soft-bristled toothbrush.
• Avoid highly acidic foods.
• Avoid grinding your teeth. Consider getting a mouthguard if you participate in sports.

The following are some dental procedures that may reduce sensitive teeth:

• Bonding, crowns, or inlays. These treatments can fix a tooth flaw or decay that is causing sensitivity.
• Fluoride gel or varnish.
• Surgical gum graft. A surgical gum graft can protect the root and reduce sensitivity if gum tissue has eroded from the root.
• Root canal. A root canal may be considered a last-resort option in extreme tooth sensitivity cases that haven’t responded to other treatments.
• Dental sealants can be applied to tooth surfaces and exposed root surfaces to shield the nerves below them.

It All Adds Up at A Plus Dental!

Our goal at A Plus Dental is to provide our Campbelltown area patients, from infants to seniors, with caring, relaxed treatments in a calm and welcoming environment.

By choosing A Plus Dental, you have taken the next step to a healthy, beautiful smile with teeth that feel great in your mouth!!

We have over 30 years of experience combined and treat each of our patients with the utmost care and respect.

Call us at (02) 4627 3833 or request your appointment online today!

We are located at Suite 3/300 Queen Street in Campbelltown.