If you experience sharp pain and discomfort when you consume cold or hot foods, there is a possibility that you have tooth sensitivity. But you aren’t alone in this, as many people out there experience pain in their teeth when they consume their favorite ice cold beverages or hot foods. This temporary sensitivity can be a sign of underlying issues with your oral health or tooth enamel.
According to reports , millions of people experience teeth sensitivity, and this is not a sign of a healthy mouth. This problem is as a results of lots of unhealthy things we have done to our teeth some time ago. But what could have be the cause of teeth sensitivity ? Moreover we make use of our teeth on a daily basis to perform different activities, such as chewing and cutting food for easy digestion. And also so many other stuffs, most of these activities are not good for maintaining healthy teeth and gum.
For a more clear and simple understanding, tooth sensitivity occurs when your teeth experience pain in response to certain stimuli, such as hot or cold temperatures. This sensitivity may affect one or several teeth, but not the entire set. To find an effective remedy, it is important to determine the cause of your tooth sensitivity. Consulting with a dental team can help identify the underlying issue and recommend appropriate toothpaste for sensitive teeth to prevent cavities and protect your gums.
Typically, teeth sensitivity sets in as a result of worn tooth enamel or exposed tooth roots and nerve endings. When the dentin loses its protective covering of enamel or cementum, leaving the nerve endings exposed to hot, cold, acidic or sticky foods, dentin hypersensitivity or nerve irritation occurs. Here are the possible things that can be responsible for causing discomfort and wrecking havoc on your dental team’s health information over time.
What Causes Sensitive Teeth
1. Gum Disease
There are signs of healthy gum, when your gum is not healthy your teeth will suffer the same fate. If you don’t practice good oral hygiene, as you age you will start to notice that your gum are being pulled away from your teeth. This may sound scary but it’s true, it means that your gums are receding.
Too much accumulation of plaque and tartar can cause tooth sensitivity and gum recession. Gum disease, such as gingivitis, can expose the dentin and sensitive nerves beneath the teeth. If you notice gum recession, it’s important to seek dental care promptly for a proper diagnosis. A dentist can remove plaque from the gum line and provide necessary treatment, including medications or surgery if needed.
2. Acidic Foods
Frequent eating of acidic foods and beverages can cause tooth sensitivity. This information is important for maintaining dental health over time. Acidic foods strip away tooth enamel, exposing the dentin. To prevent tooth sensitivity, it is essential to monitor your diet and create a balance between acidic and non-acidic foods and beverages.
How do we know which foods and beverages attack the enamel of sensitive teeth? Let me provide you with some examples. As mentioned earlier, these are acidic foods and beverages that can cause tooth sensitivity. Here is a list of some of these foods and beverages: highly acidic items like tomato sauce, grains, pickled products, orange juice, coffee, sports drinks, wine, carbonated sodas, lemon, grapefruit, and kiwi. This is just a small selection; there are many other items that can contribute to tooth sensitivity.
3. Hard Brushing
Brushing your teeth too hard with strong force and using a toothbrush with strong bristles can cause damage to the protective layers of the teeth, including wearing down the enamel. If you consistently clean your teeth with excessive force, you risk removing more than just dirt – you are also putting pressure on your gums, which can lead to gum recession.
Aggressive brushing can lead to the exposure of sensitive inner parts of the teeth, causing discomfort and sensitivity. This is why it’s important to have accurate information about proper brushing techniques.
4. Tooth Grinding
Tooth grinding, also known as bruxism, can cause the wearing down of teeth over time. Despite their strength, teeth can be affected by the continuous grinding action, leading to enamel erosion and exposure of the dentin layer. Stress is a common trigger for teeth grinding, so it’s important to reduce stress levels. If you find it difficult to stop grinding your teeth, consulting a dentist for assistance is recommended. Dentists can provide mouth guards designed to prevent grinding. Discuss this option with your dentist to find the right solution for you.
5. Post Dental Treatment Sensitivity
After undergoing a dental procedure such as crowns, fillings, root canal, or tooth extraction, it’s common to experience temporary teeth sensitivity. Don’t worry too much, as it won’t last long. However, if the sensitivity persists beyond a few days, it’s advisable to contact your dentist as it may indicate another health problem.
6. Tooth Bleaching
Your journey to get white teeth can be challenging, as there is an abundance of information on various teeth whitening methods. It’s important to note that not all teeth are the same, and what works for others may not work for you. Additionally, some individuals may have sensitivity to certain tooth whitening chemicals found in toothpaste formulas.
Sensitive from tooth breaching is common for the first few days that you just started, but if it persists then it’s not normal. You can consider taking a break from teeth breaching, switch back to non-teeth whitening toothpaste.
7. Crack Filling or Tooth
When your tooth is cracked, the pain is beyond tooth sensitive. It can lead to serious damage on dentin and tooth root. You will start to feel pain when you take cold or hot foods and drinks. The treatment you will get from your dentist, depends on how serious or deep the crack is.
If you have gotten a filling before, your fillings can weaken and fracture or leak around the edges overtime. Too much consumption of sugary foods such as : cookies, candies, cake, ice cream and chocolate, makes it very easy for bacteria to accumulate. As bacteria break down all those sugar, they build up acids that wears down the teeth enamel. This can lead to tooth decay and teeth sensitivity. If your fillings have gone bad, meet your dentist for a replacement.
How To Diagnose Sensitive Teeth
It takes the help of a dentist to find out the underlying cause of teeth sensitivity. You should fix an appointment with your dentist, just as I listed above. There are so many things that can result to teeth sensitivity, a thorough visual examination can help find the actual cause.
Your dentist will have to inspect your teeth using his dental tools, some part of your teeth might be taken for proper testing. X-ray might be recommended, to check the possible cause of the sensitivity.
Finally, teeth sensitivity sets in when the dentin is exposed, but the good news is that this problem can be treated. It might take a visit to the dentist in order to pin down the actual cause of this sensitivity. Cutting down on some things that you think that are responsible for your sensitive teeth can help, but if it does not work. You should contact your dentist for proper evaluation and treatment.
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