If you occasionally experience a sudden flash of pain, or a mild tingly feeling when you bite into sweet or sour foods, or drink hot or cold beverages, you may have sensitive teeth.
Causes & Development
In healthy teeth, porous tissue called dentin is protected by your gums and your teeth's hard enamel shell. When this protection is lost, microscopic holes in the dentin called tubules, allow heat, cold and other irritants to be transmitted back to the tooth nerve triggering pain. Dentin can be exposed by:
Receding gums caused by improper brushing or gum disease
Signs & SymptomsPain from sensitive teeth is not always constant; it can come and go. Constant pain could be a sign of a more serious problem. It is still important, however, to discuss your symptoms with your dentist to determine the cause and proper treatment.
Depending on the diagnosis, your dentist may recommend various changes to your dental hygiene routine, such as: a soft(er)-bristled toothbrush; a special toothpaste for sensitive teeth that can either block access to the nerve or make the nerve itself less sensitive; a fluoride rinse or gel for sensitive teeth. A sensitivity-protection toothpaste usually takes several weeks to ease pain. Follow the instructions of your dental professional on the regular use of sensitivity protection toothpaste to keep pain from returning.
Bruxism Prolonged, unintentional grinding and clenching of the teeth, usually occurring during sleep. 'Bruxers' are often unaware that they have developed this habit. Symptoms include abraded/chipped teeth (in extreme cases, waking up with tooth chips in the mouth); facial pain; oversensitive teeth; tense facial and jaw muscles; headaches; dislocation of the jaw; damage to the tooth enamel, exposing the inside of the tooth; a popping or clicking in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ); tongue indentations; damage to the inside of the cheek.
