Dental Issue: Sensitive Teeth

Studio shot of a young woman having a severe tooth ache with hand on cheek over grey background
Studio shot of a young woman having a severe tooth ache with hand on cheek over grey background

Dental Issue: Sensitive Teeth

One of the most common complaints that we hear in our dental office is that of a patient having tooth sensitivity.  Also referred to as dentin hypersensitivity, this often taxing condition at times can arise from ingesting either hot or cold foods (or air), sweet or sour foods, and at other times this sensitivity can even exist without any obvious outside stimulus. The pain from tooth sensitivity can be sudden and quite sharp, and it can certainly cause a great amount of distress.  Tooth sensitivity can affect any person at any age, it can affect only one or several teeth.  The result can be ongoing mouth pain or discomfort all packaged with a healthy dose of frustration.  The good news is this dental issue doesn’t have to be a permanent problem.  For every type of dental sensitivity, there are solutions.  Let’s take a closer look at some key information.

What Causes Tooth Sensitivity?

Dentin hypersensitivity arises when the gums in a person’s mouth recede, or are otherwise pulled back to reveal the surface below.  This under surface is called the tooth dentin, and it is a softer layer of complex and intertwined roots that exists within every tooth.  These roots lead to the inner nerve center of the tooth, otherwise known as the tooth pulp and when aggravated or exposed, the dentin can be the cause a great amount of sensitivity or pain.  Alternatively, the thinning of the outer tooth enamel can also prompt dentin exposure.  Both cases can easily arise from a number of common dental missteps including brushing too hard, eating large amounts of high acid containing foods, grinding or gritting your teeth at night, or even allowing loosening fillings to go unchecked.  In some cases, even sanctioned dental treatments like crown procedures or tooth bleaching can be a sensitivity culprit.

 How to treat tooth sensitivity.

The first step to conquering tooth sensitivity is to see your dentist so that he or she can source the genesis of your thinning enamel, or gum recession.  After identifying the sensitivity source, our dentists can then evaluate the findings in order to let you know precisely what treatment(s) can help you the most.  Options range from very simple fixes like adding desensitizing toothpaste to your regimen, and more involved solutions might include a surgical gum graft procedure, or a root canal.  In either case, our patients find it well worth it to address the situation and find their way back to comforting relief.

If you have tooth sensitivity, there is no need to suffer.  Contact our offices for an appointment and we will be able to get you out of dental pain in no time.

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