If you have ever dealt with a sensitive tooth or teeth, you probably already know just how annoying and aggravating the whole situation can be. Not only is it extremely painful, but also the pain can eventually start interfering with your everyday life. Hot and cold food, sweets, and even the cold wind against your teeth can create throbbing and stinging pain unlike anything you have ever experienced before. While you might understand the severity of the pain, you might not really understand what is causing your teeth to become so sensitive. This is what you are going to learn below, and how exactly you can go about treating those sensitive teeth.
What Causes Sensitive Teeth?
Most of the time if you have a sensitive tooth, it is simply because the protective layers of enamel that cover the crown and root have worn or eroded away. When this happens, it causes the tooth’s dentin to become exposed. Dentin is a section of the tooth that is filled with sensitive nerve endings, so this is where the pain comes from.
Take Advantage Of The Right Toothpaste
If you look in the oral hygiene aisle in any store, you will notice that the shelves are stocked with all kinds of different brands and makes. Well, there is even toothpaste that was specifically designed for individuals suffering from sensitive teeth. This type of biorepair toothpaste will contain potassium nitrate, which has the ability to block those nerve endings in your dentin, so they will no longer be exposed. Of course, this will not work for everyone, but Markham Dental recommends that everyone suffering from sensitive teeth should at least start here.
Changing Your Brushing Techniques
If you are using a hard too brush, if you are scrubbing your teeth, or if you aren’t brushing for a full two minutes, you really aren’t doing yourself or your teeth any favors. When you brush hard with a hard toothbrush, it actually causes the enamel to wear much faster. In addition to this, if you have a recession or root exposure, you are pretty much just scrubbing the cementum. Cementum is the part of the tooth that actually protects your roots, but unfortunately it wears even faster than enamel.
Always Stay Away From Acidic Foods And Drinks
No matter how much you love red wine, soda pop, fruit juices, or acidic food, you are going to have to stay away from them at all costs. This doesn’t mean that you can’t ever partake in these types of foods and drinks, just make sure that you are limiting yourself, because they are constantly attacking your enamel. When consuming these types of foods and drinks, make sure that you are brushing about twenty minutes after consuming them. Never brush before consuming these foods, because it can just cause further damage. In fact, even if you aren’t currently suffering from sensitive teeth you should probably start limiting your intake of these foods right away.
Get Painted On Barriers
If you aren’t haven’t any luck with the above-mentioned methods, you can always speak to your doctor about getting protective barriers installed. There are a variety of different materials that can be installed over your sensitive teeth and they can provide protection anywhere from months to a few years, depending on the material that is used.