Most people at some point in their lives have experienced tooth sensitivity. Perhaps you’ve experienced it yourself after biting into an ice cream cone or taking a sip of hot coffee. But what does it mean when your teeth are sensitive?
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What Is Tooth Sensitivity?
There are tubes that run from the nerve inside your tooth all the way out to either the root surface of the tooth, the cementum, or the dentin. Dentin is the second layer of the tooth under the enamel, which is the hard white part on the outside of the tooth. Those tubes inside your teeth have liquid in them. When air, heat, or coldness touches that tube, the liquid will pull back into the tube. That pressure is what causes the uncomfortable or painful shock-like sensitivity on the teeth.
Causes of Tooth Sensitivity
There are a few reasons why your teeth may be sensitive. While tooth sensitivity can be hereditary, it can also become more frequent as we get older.
Cleanings
Did you just have your teeth cleaned? If so, that may be the reason you are experiencing tooth sensitivity. Tooth sensitivity can last around a day or two after your cleaning. While that may seem contradictory, there’s a good explanation. Tartar acts almost like a jacket, protecting teeth from thermal sensitivity. When the tartar is removed during a cleaning, there’s no more protective layer. That’s why the tooth can be sensitive for a few days after a cleaning.
Gum Recession
Tooth sensitivity may also be a result of gum recession. Gingivitis, bone loss, orthodontics, or brushing your teeth too hard can cause gums to recede. You can also have gum recession if your teeth are poorly positioned. Gum recession tends to increase with age, which is why older patients may experience more tooth sensitivity.
Dental Work
Dental work is another reason your teeth may be feeling more sensitive than usual. It’s common to experience tooth sensitivity after fillings, crowns, or other dental procedures. Tooth sensitivity is unpredictable, though, and not every patient will experience it. But if you compare it to a surgery done on any other part of the body, there’s likely a healing process involved aftward. Teeth are the same way, but healing looks different for everyone.
Certain Triggers
Other factors like the cold, heat, and air, along with sugar or sweets, can trigger sensitivity. For instance, drinking a sweet wine with unfermented sugars may leave your teeth feeling a little sensitive.
Does Tooth Sensitivity Go Away?
Tooth sensitivity can come and go, whether it’s triggered by certain foods or because of plaque and tartar buildup. For frequent or more severe tooth sensitivity, though, various levels of treatment are available.
Tooth Sensitivity Treatments
For moderate cases of sensitivity, treatment can be as simple as swapping out your toothpaste. However, more severe cases typically require stronger treatments.
Sensitive Toothpaste
The first step for treatment is asking patients to start using sensitive toothpaste. Sensodyne or any other over-the-counter sensitivity branded toothpaste have potassium nitrate as the active ingredient, causing the tooth’s internal tube to close on itself or blocking the tube with material, so it doesn’t have that flow of liquid.
It takes about two weeks for that active ingredient to build up on the teeth and become effective. If you know what tooth is causing the sensitivity, we recommend putting the toothpaste directly on the tooth before bed to help speed up the process. If patients try the over-the-counter sensitivity toothpaste for a month and still don’t get any relief, we then recommend a prescription toothpaste that’s both high in fluoride and potassium nitrate.
Sensitivity Treatments
If toothpaste doesn’t work, Cedarwood Dentistry also uses a desensitizing agent in the office. Some offices also use a very low-level laser treatment to cauterize the tubules on the tooth’s root surface. For more severe cases, this treatment would need to be done every six months.
Gum Graft
A gum graft is a fairly simple surgery for patients with gum recession that can help mitigate sensitivity. A periodontist takes gum tissue from the roof of the mouth and relocates it to the receded gum to build it back up. There are different gum grafts available for varying levels of recession severity.
How to Prevent Tooth Sensitivity
What’s the main thing patients can do at home to prevent tooth sensitivity? Don’t brush too hard. You can also prevent sensitivity by avoiding certain triggers, such as cold foods or sweets. Maintaining a proper dental hygiene routine will also help deter sensitivity and keep your teeth as healthy as possible.
At Cedarwood Dentistry, we cultivate dental health through personalized care. We offer a variety of dental services, including family dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, and emergency care in Midlothian, Virginia. Whether you last visited the dentist six months or six years ago, we can help bring your smile to life. Schedule your dentist appointment today by calling 804-379-9375.