Dental hypersensitivity can cause symptoms such as severe pain when drinking hot coffee or eating ice cream. Every meal, and sometimes even brushing your teeth with the wrong toothpaste, is then a chore. Tooth sensitivity is usually caused by poor hygiene habits, but also due to malocclusion or mechanical damage to the enamel. Find out what else causes tooth sensitivity and what is the treatment.

Teeth hypersensitivityis a common problem. How does tooth sensitivity develop? Normally, enamel forms a tight layer that protects the innervated dentin from the irritating effects of external factors. Damaged, it reacts with hypersensitivity. Unfortunately, we usually weaken this isolation of the teeth ourselves and cause pain to ourselves.

Tooth sensitivity - causes

The cause of tooth sensitivity usually lies in poor hygiene habits or malocclusion - they overload the teeth, damage the enamel and expose the dentin.

If you eat a lot of citrus, drink carbonated drinks, like sour juices and sauces, you probably do not realize that the ingredients of such products change the saliva to acid and then the enamel gradually demineralises.

Also, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that cause the regurgitation of the stomach contents in the esophagus, and frequent vomiting (e.g. in bulimia nervosa) are not indifferent to the enamel.

You may also develop hypersensitivity due to involuntary grinding of your teeth while sleeping (bruxism). If you are in the habit of biting pencils and nails, it is also easy to mechanically damage the enamel.

GOOD TO KNOW>>How to properly brush your teeth? Adequate brushing techniques

Tooth sensitivity - symptoms

Tooth sensitivity is manifested by the feeling of pain when consuming hot or cold food or drinks. Pain may also appear while brushing your teeth.

Alleviation of the symptoms of tooth sensitivity

Removing hypersensitivity is usually simple and is mainly based on proper dental care.

1. First of all, buy a toothpaste designed specifically for hypersensitive teeth or another, but with a low level of abrasion - about 30 RDA (abrasion index). If no indicator is shown on the package, rub a little paste wfingers - when you feel particles, change it to a milder one.

In case of tooth sensitivity, brush your teeth gently using a soft-fiber brush, avoid eating acidic food and drinks.

The paste should contain fluoride compounds (e.g. amine fluoride, stannous fluoride) that close the dentin tubules. Potassium compounds (e.g. potassium nitrate or citrate) are also a desirable ingredient that reduce the sensitivity of nerve endings to pain stimuli.

2. Brush your teeth after each meal with sweeping movements - from the gums to the tooth crown. Remember that brushing horizontally hurts the gums and exposes the necks of the teeth.

3. Do not brush your teeth immediately after eating citrus fruit or drinking sour juice. They are then devoid of a protective layer and brushing can lead to abrasion of the enamel - so wait about an hour or rinse your mouth with water first.

4. Use floss to clean all the spaces between your teeth and finally use a mouthwash to reduce sensitivity. Such treatments take effect within 2-3 weeks. You can speed it up a bit by prolonging the contact of the toothpaste with your teeth - smear it a little on your teeth just before going to bed and leave it overnight (it should not be a strong mint paste, because menthol can irritate the gums).

Tooth sensitivity - treatment

Sometimes home remedies turn out to be insufficient, because the enamel is very damaged or, for example, due to the lowering of the gums, entire necks are exposed. Then you have to seek help from the dentist. There are many ways to get rid of hypersensitivity. The doctor may recommend, for example, covering the teeth with a fluoride preparation, which creates a protective coating on them and provides quick relief. He can also use a preparation that acts like liquid enamel - by providing highly concentrated calcium and phosphate, it supports the remineralisation of enamel and helps to neutralize acids produced by bacteria. With large cavities in the enamel, it can cover the painful areas with a composite filling, which effectively isolates the sensitive nerve endings from stimuli that cause ailments.

"Zdrowie" monthly

Category:

Dentistry and Orthodontics