05 Dec Tips for Coping with Sensitive Teeth
When you drink something cold or hot, do you experience immediate discomfort? Does the thought of a bowl of cold ice cream make you cringe due to tooth sensitivity? Having sensitive teeth can put a damper on enjoying some of your favorite foods and beverages. Experiencing discomfort due to temperate drinks and foods can affect your daily life and make you wonder about the state of your oral health. Fortunately, dentistry offers solutions for coping with tooth sensitivity and there are some steps you can take to improve your health and comfort. Following is some helpful information on tooth sensitivity and how to ameliorate your symptoms.
Managing Sensitive Teeth
One of the most effective things a person with tooth pain can do is avoid consuming excessively cold or hot food items. For instance, before drinking a cup of hot coffee, allow it to cool for a few minutes. This can reduce the incidence of symptoms greatly. Additionally, patients should take their oral hygiene very seriously and use fluoridated toothpastes formulated for sensitive teeth to strengthen tooth enamel and clean away debris without harsh and irritating abrasives. Lastly, if tooth sensitivity persists, a dental checkup is ideal to ensure that teeth are healthy.
What Causes Tooth Sensitivity
Sometimes, tooth sensitivity is caused by benign oral health problems and in other cases, issues related to the vitality of teeth and gums can cause pain when patients eat and drink temperate food items. If teeth are relatively healthy, sensitivity may be related to thin tooth enamel that exposes the millions of tubules inside the dentin structure of teeth to hot and cold temperatures. These tubules connect to nerve endings and therefore cause heightened sensitivity to items that are cold or hot in temperature. When it comes to dentistry, treating this more benign cause of sensitivity normally involves applying sealants to teeth and the use of enamel-strengthening toothpastes. Other causes behind tooth sensitivity can include receding gums, dental caries, and damaged tooth enamel. These issues may be treated with periodontal disease therapies, restorations, and tooth extractions.
Our practice offers a variety of treatments including tooth extractions, dental implants placement, and reconstructive surgeries. Call us today at Charlottesville Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Center to reserve a checkup or consultation with our oral surgeon.