The clocks haven’t long gone back. It’s dark. It’s cold. Christmas is coming! And your sensitive teeth are driving you up the wall.
Having sensitive teeth is a really common problem. Lots of people suffer with it, and it can be incredibly uncomfortable and painful.
Over time, the enamel on your teeth wears down. This can be due to your diet, overbrushing, or even if you have lots of restored teeth. But you don’t have to suffer! Take a look at my list below of causes and cures to your tooth sensitivity.
- Visit your dentist: if your tooth sensitivity is localised to one tooth, then you may need a filling. Teeth that are sensitive usually have a comprimised enamel layer, which means anything you eat is filtering down into the dentine layer, and then to the nerve, which is why you feel pain. A filling may solve your problem.
- Start using a toothpaste especially formulated for sensitivity: Sensodyne really does work wonders. It’s special formula blocks the tubules that go through the enamel layer and into the dentine, which in turn stops any cold sensation travelling down the tooth. You have to use it for a few weeks to build up a protective layer, but we’ve had lots of patients report that it’s solved their problems. There are other brands on the market, but it’s always best to stick to one instead of changing, as they all have different formulas.
- Tooth grinding: a common habit, grinding teeth is often something people do while sleeping which makes it tricky to tackle. This grinding action can wear out the enamel, thus exposing the dentin. Visit your dentist to see about being provided with a bite guard to help stop the grinding and protect the teeth.
- Having treatment: it’s natural to have teeth sensitivity following procedures such as a crown placement, tooth extraction or even an in-depth clean from the hygienist. If however the sensitivity persists, it’s important you have a check-up with your dentist in case you have an infection of some sort or a chipped/cracked tooth you’re not aware of.
- Poor Dental Hygiene: if you don’t floss daily as well as brush your teeth in the morning and at night right before you go to sleep, plaque builds up which causes both gum disease and enamel damage. Both of these issues, if left unchecked, will leave your teeth nerves exposed.
- Over brushing: if you go at your teeth with the same gusto as you clean an oven, or use a toothbrush that has overly hard bristles, this can damage the protective enamel covering your teeth. Hence the tenderness when you eat or drink.
- Frequently Eating Acidic Foods: highly acidic foods like most fruits (especially ones like lemon, grapefruit and kiwi) also damage your protective enamel, leaving your nerves exposed. Try and cut back on them, and stick to eating them at meal times.
- Tooth Whitening Products: some people are more sensitive than others to the chemical bleach in many whitening products. Some whitening products are very acidic which dissolves your teeth making them more sensitive. We always recommend using Sensodyne if you are currently using a whitening product.
- Mouthwashes that Contain Alcohol: those with exposed nerves will find over-the-counter mouth washes that have alcohol and other aggressive chemicals as ingredients aggravating to their sensitivity condition.
If you have any questions or would like to get checked out, please call us on 0121 550 6958.