Hot? Cold? Acidic? Feel like its anything and everything that can make your teeth scream? Oklahoma City gentle dentist, Dr. Grace Jun, discusses how our teeth become sensitive, why they give us that sharp shrilling pain and what we can do to help combat. Don’t feel alone either. According to the American Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), nearly 40 million adults in the United States suffer from the annoyance of tooth sensitivity.
How Our Teeth Become Sensitive
The reason for that sharp distinct pain is the nerves and cells inside the tooth are actually being touched and bothered. This is accessed when our protective layer of enamel is lost and the dentin is exposed. Dentin makes up most of our inner tooth. Dentin is much thinner than the enamel and contains tiny canals (tubules) that lead right to the nerves inside the tooth. Once these tubules are exposed anything can bother these nerves. Hot, cold, flossing, brushing, and acidic foods are all typically very bothersome.
Possible Causes of Sensitive Teeth
- Worn Tooth Enamel
- Chipped or Cracked Tooth
- Teeth Bleaching
- Gum Disease
- Post Dental Treatment (typically temporary)
- Bruxism (teeth grinding)
- Tooth Decay
Many of the above causes ultimately lead to worn tooth enamel.
Treatment
Pragma Dental OKC should be your first stop in determining the underlying cause of your pain. Dr. Grace will take a close look at your teeth and ask a few questions to gain an understanding of exactly what is happening. After a close examination, recommendations will be laid out for you depending on her discoveries.
Desensitizing toothpaste, root canals, surgical gum grafts, and fluoride are common methods to help sensitive teeth from recurring. If possible, starting with a desensitizing toothpaste is a great way to begin because it is inexpensive but does require several applications. The doctor also may do an in office fluoride treatment to strengthen the enamel. Surgical gum grafts and root canals will only be done if necessary and the other options will not suffice.
Proper oral hygiene is an essential step in combating most all of the above causes which will help diminish tooth sensitivity. If suffering from sensitive teeth in OKC don’t continue to put it off. Contact the Pragma Dental OKC team and set up an appointment today.
