You can always spot a person with sensitive teeth; they’re the ones wincing as they take a bite of ice cream, sip their hot or cold drink, or consume anything acidic. In addition to eating and drinking certain things, brushing your teeth when you have sensitive teeth can also be a nightmare, especially when certain toothpaste can cause more pain than the offending foods! But if you suffer from this condition, take heart! If you’re wondering how to deal with sensitive teeth, read on.
Causes of Sensitive Teeth
Let’s start with why your teeth hurt. Your teeth are made up of layers. The inside of your tooth is made up of dentin, a layer filled with tiny nerve endings. Near the crown of your tooth, dentin is protected by enamel; near the root, it is protected by a substance called cementum. When these protective layers are broken down, the nerve endings are left vulnerable to things like hot water, cold water, and acid, causing sensitivity and pain.
There are several things that can cause teeth to become extremely sensitive:
- Brushing teeth too vigorously with a hard toothbrush, and wearing down the enamel.
- Eating foods that are highly acidic, including foods like coffee, soda, sweets, red wine, vinegar-based foods (pickled items), and tomatoes. Eating too much of these foods can cause tooth erosion and decay, resulting in teeth that are extremely sensitive.
- Grinding the teeth, causing erosion or cracking.
- Cavities, which can expose the roots underneath.
Remedies and Sensitive Teeth Treatments You Can Do at Home
Luckily, there are a few treatments that can help ease tooth sensitivity. They include the following:
- Use desensitizing toothpaste, which has an ingredient that coats and seals exposed nerve endings. After you brush your teeth with the toothpaste, you can dab some extra on the affected teeth for an extra layer of protection.
- Avoid consuming the things that destroy the enamel, at the very least until your teeth are healed.
- Use a soft-bristled toothbrush so that you don’t end up scrubbing off precious enamel.
- Take steps to stop yourself from grinding your teeth by getting a mouth guard.
- Use a mouthwash that has fluoride in it on a daily basis.
What a Dentist Can Do
There a several things a dentist can do to help treat your teeth sensitivity:
- Give you a special fluoride gel that can strengthen enamel and numb the pain.
- Give you a local anesthetic before putting some bonding resin on the sensitive area.
- Suggest that you get a root canal. By using this treatment that focuses on treating the dental pulp at the tooth’s core, they can literally get to the root of the problem. This is one of the best ways to get rid of the issue for good.
