Smiling boy after undergoing tooth desensitization for his sensitive teeth in Oshawa, ON.
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Can Tooth Desensitization Help My Sensitive Teeth?

Tooth sensitivity occurs when you consume hot, cold, sweet or sour foods or beverages and even breathing by cold air. The pain might be sharp, unexpected, and shoot deep into the endings of the tooth nerves. Tooth desensitizing treatments like fluoride, dental bonding, and desensitizing toothpaste can help reduce the sensitivity.

Tooth Sensitivity Explained

Tooth sensitivity happens when the underlying layer of your teeth becomes exposed. For example, dentin exposure can occur due to enamel erosion and gum recession.

Your tooth roots aren’t covered by the hard enamel containing a multitude of tiny tubules pointing towards your tooth’s center, the dental pulp. Instead, the dentinal tubules permit stimuli from hot, cold, or sweet foods to reach your tooth nerve, resulting in discomfort.

Tooth sensitivity also results from other issues like cavities, gum disease, or cracked teeth.

Causes of Tooth Sensitivity

The development of sensitive teeth results from various factors, including:

  • Aggressive Brushing: Using a hard-bristled toothbrush and brushing aggressively can wear down tooth enamel, resulting in dentin exposure. Aggressive brushing can also cause gum recession pulling your gum tissue away from your teeth.
  • Periodontal Disease: gum tissue soreness and inflammation can cause tooth sensitivity from the loss of supporting ligaments. The supporting ligament loss exposes the root surface leading directly to the nerve of the tooth.
  • Cracked Teeth: bacteria from plaque can fill broken or chipped teeth to enter the dental pulp and cause inflammation.
  • Teeth Grinding: Your tooth enamel wears down from grinding or clenching, exposing the underlying dentin.
  • Teeth Whitening: Major contributors to the sensitivity are teeth whitening products. Therefore if you are considering whitening your teeth to bring back the sheen, you must talk to the dentist in Oshawa before trying to brighten sensitive teeth.
  • Age: people between 25 and 30 experience the highest teeth sensitivity.
  • Mouthwash Use: Mouthwash brands available over the counter contain acids that worsen teeth sensitivity if you are affected by dentin exposure. The acids cause further damage to the dentin to increase sensitivity. If you have exposed dentin sensitivity, you can receive tooth desensitization treatment in Oshawa, ON, from the dentist using a neutral fluoride solution.
  • Dental Procedures Recently: Dental restoration placement, fillings, and teeth cleanings can also cause sensitive teeth. Sensitivity from dental procedures is generally temporary and disappears within 30 to 45 days.
  • Acidic Foods: If consuming acid foods like citrus foods, tomatoes, pickles, and tea frequently, you might experience enamel erosion resulting in tooth sensitivity.

How to Prevent Tooth Sensitivity?

The treatment for tooth sensitivity depends on its cause. If you develop lingering sensitivity, you must schedule an appointment with a desensitization dental to ensure they rule out severe conditions and recommend suitable treatments.

You can reduce your risk of tooth sensitivity from regular wear and tear by using:

  • Desensitizing Toothpaste: finding different brands of toothpaste for sensitive teeth is not challenging. If you use toothpaste frequently, you will notice a reduction in sensitivity. You must try different brands to find which product suits your needs the best. Before going to bed, you can also spread a layer of toothpaste on your exposed tooth roots. You must ensure that you use fluoridated toothpaste.
  • Excellent Dental Hygiene: Proper brushing and flossing techniques are essential to thoroughly clean all parts of your mouth and teeth to reduce sensitivity.
  • Toothbrush Use: Selecting soft-bristled toothbrush results in minimal abrasion on the tooth surface besides irritation to your gums.
  • Limit Consumption of Acidic Foods: Consuming acidic foods frequently gradually dissolves the tooth enamel, resulting in exposure to dentin. The foods also aggravate the sensitivity and cause pain.
  • Using Fluoridated Dental Products: you can reduce tooth sensitivity by using a fluoride mouth rinse daily. However, you should ask your dentist for recommendations on the best products to use.
  • Avoid Teeth Grinding: If you are accustomed to teeth grinding, consider getting a night guard custom created by your dentist for use when sleeping.
  • Frequent Dental Visits: Do not forget to get regular dental exams, cleanings, and fluoride therapy to reduce sensitivity.

If the above does not help you discuss the issue with the Oshawa dentist. The dentist might recommend some procedures that help reduce sensitivity using dental bonding to hide uncovered root surfaces, fluoride varnish applied to the bare root surface and dentin sealers to accomplish a similar purpose.

Tooth desensitization does help with sensitive teeth but requires assistance from an experienced dentist and plenty of patience to overcome the discomfort.

Harmony Dental Care provides efficient and effective remedies for tooth sensitivity in Oshawa. If you experience this problem, kindly do not hesitate to consult the practice of how you can overcome the discomfort you experience with tooth desensitization.

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