If you wince at that morning sip of coffee or avoid ice cream with your family due to tooth pain, you are not alone. According to WebMD, 1 in 8 adults suffer from sensitive teeth. But just because it’s common doesn’t mean you should ignore it. In fact, sensitive teeth can be a warning sign of a more serious dental health issue that needs to be addressed.
What Causes Teeth to Have Feelings?
You’ve used your teeth for as long as you can remember. You’ve talked, chewed your food and enjoyed beverages without your teeth making a peep. Why are they suddenly hurting now? The truth is, your teeth have nerves deep inside. In a healthy tooth, the enamel (outer layer) is strong enough to shield your tooth nerves from the outside environment (cold air, pressure, hot foods, etc). However, when that enamel wears thin or gets damaged, your inner tooth layers are now more exposed. The inner layers have open pathways that lead straight to the core of nerves, which means extreme temperatures can more easily reach those nerves and signal pain. Depending on what is causing your tooth pain, you may experience intermittent sensitivity or chronic discomfort.
Getting to the Root of Smile Sensitivity
Sure, you can buy special toothpaste to tame your tooth sensitivity or simply avoid the triggers that cause your discomfort. However, it is highly important that you let a dentist diagnose your tooth pain first. While it may be a matter of the natural aging process that has caused your enamel to wear thin or your gums to recede, there are also other culprits to teeth sensitivity such as the following:
- Decay
- Gum Disease
- Brushing Too Hard
- Enamel erosion from sodas and acidic foods
- Gum Recession
- Teeth Grinding
- Post Dental Treatment
Treating Your Sensitive Teeth
As you can see from the list above, the reasons for sensitive teeth can be very different. This also means that the way we treat your sensitive teeth is unique for each patient. While one patient may need a nighttime mouth guard for teeth grinding, another may need a composite filling. It may even be as simple as buying a softer toothbrush or avoiding acidic drinks.
At Gold Hill Dentistry, we offer a full menu of dental treatments for all ages. We care about the comfort of your smile and we will work hard to uncover the underlying reason for your sensitive teeth. As with any dental issue, it is better treated sooner rather than later!