Sensitive Teeth: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments

Do you have pain or discomfort when you eat or drink something? It might even feel painful when you are brushing your teeth twice a day. Ice cream is definitely out of the question for you. This is one of the many problems of having sensitive teeth. There is something you can do about it to make the situation less painful. Here are the details around having sensitive teeth from Vero Implants and Periodontics, a dentist in Vero Beach Fl. We know how to treat this issue that affects millions of people.

Symptoms of Sensitive Teeth

The American Dental Association (ADA) finds that 1 out of 8 people experience sensitive teeth. Sensitive teeth or “dentin hypersensitivity” is pain or discomfort when your teeth are exposed to changes in temperature or touching. Some people are bothered by cold, heat, or both. This problem can be chronic, where you feel pain in your teeth all the time, or it can come and go randomly. It may affect just one tooth or multiple teeth in a certain area of your mouth. Everyone is different when it comes to experiencing tooth sensitivity.

The symptoms are pain at the root of the tooth or teeth from a variety of factors. Some of those factors are hot and cold foods, cold air, sweet or acidic foods, ice water, and alcohol. You can also experience symptoms from the sensitivity when brushing or flossing your teeth. It can be a very unpleasant feeling to go through all the time that interferes with your quality of life. That’s why it’s vital to consult a dentist in Vero Beach like Vero Implants and Periodontics.

Causes to Watch out for With Sensitive Chompers

The root cause of sensitive teeth can be from a number of reasons. Some people naturally are born with more sensitive teeth because their tooth enamel is thinner. That makes them more prone to sensitivity issues.

There are other causes to look at. One of those is brushing your teeth too hard or using a hard bristled toothbrush that can wear away your gum line exposing more of the tooth’s surface. Gum recession is a indicator of sensitive teeth.

Grinding your teeth or bruxism, as it’s called, regularly at night can also lead to problems with increased tooth sensitivity. The reason being is that this action produces tiny cracks in your tooth enamel.

Eating or drinking super acidic food is a problem that erodes tooth enamel over time causing sensitive teeth.

As you can see, when tooth enamel wears away or is damaged, you are more likely to experience the pain of sensitive teeth. That includes broken, chipped, or decaying teeth that need periodontal care.

Treatments That Will Help

There are treatments that will help you cope with dentin hypersensitivity. For people that have minor sensitivity issues, it may be better to use a toothpaste specifically geared towards sensitive teeth. There are many brands available at your local drugstore, but you can also talk to your dentist or periodontist about the brand they would recommend. This style of toothpaste has desensitizing ingredients that will help eliminate some of the pain.

It’s helpful to avoid alcohol-based mouth washes. You can easily find those with a label that says “alcohol-free.”

Make sure that your toothbrush has bristles labeled “soft” so that you don’t brush your teeth and gums too hard. Take the time to brush your teeth in a gentle manner. Trust that this style of brushing will still get the job done of cleaning your teeth in the right way.

When these basic steps don’t work, you’ll have to take more progressive action. Talk with your dentist about a prescription based toothpaste for sensitive teeth. You can have a fluoride-based desensitizing treatment at the dentist office to help the problem when toothpaste changes alone aren’t enough.

If your gum line has worn away, you may need a procedure to treat gum recession. This is a gum graft that involves removing tissue from your palate and replacing some close to the root of your tooth in order to protect it better. Dr. Jeffery Brown is a periodontist that specializes in this style of treatment for sensitivity at Vero VIP.

For those people that grind their teeth at night, you can purchase a custom-created mouth guard from your dentist that will help protect your teeth from further wear and tear. Wear it each night to prevent future problems.

Don’t Suffer in Silence

Above all when it comes to sensitive teeth, it’s important to have it checked out by a proper periodontist or dentist. They will be able to perform an exam with x-rays to truly discover the root of the problem.

You don’t have to suffer in silence with sensitive teeth. Chat with the staff at Vero Implants and Periodontics to make your appointment today. The sooner you treat your sensitive teeth, the better you’ll feel each day with a mouth that isn’t causing you so much discomfort.