If biting into hot or cold liquids of foods causes great discomfort or pain, then you are likely to have tooth sensitivity. This could be due to dental cavities in the mouth, and can either be temporary or a serious problem, depending on the extent of damage (sometimes, more than one tooth could be affected).
Symptoms:
Sensitive tooth is often accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Receding gums
- Gum swelling
- Discharge or pus
- Foul breath
- Tastelessness
- Sinus pain
- Weight loss
- Indigestion
- Jaw pain
- Heartburn
- Inability to open full mouth
- Facial muscle pain
What causes sensitive teeth?
When the enamel, the outer layer of your tooth is destroyed, you get tooth sensitivity. This can happen with vigorous brushing, using a hard brush, teeth grinding and drinking acidic beverages or eating too much acidic foods. Tooth sensitivity can also happen with:
GERD
People suffering from GERD or Gastroesophageal reflux will have stomach acid coming up from the stomach and oesophagus and into the mouth. This could lead to frequent vomiting and eventually, tooth decay from stomach acid.
Eating sticky food
Sticky foods can damage your tooth as they stay longer on your tooth than all other foods. Eventually, they can break down the hard enamel of the tooth, leading to tooth decay. Foods that get trapped between your teeth and stuck in your tooth must be cleared immediately or they will lead to decay.
Lack of dental hygiene
If you don’t brush well, floss regularly or perform regular dental checkups, then the tooth will decay eventually. So visit with your dentist and follow dental hygiene as advised.
Accidents or traumatic incidents
Breaking or cracking the teeth in accidents can in the future, lead to teeth sensitivity. Ill-fitting dental appliances, damage caused by poor dental work, biting hard objects can also be causes for sensitivity. Traumatic blow to the jaw or face can also cause sensitivity issues.
Treatment for teeth sensitivity
If there is an underlying condition for the sensitivity, like for example, GERD, that would be treated first. For receding gums, following proper dental hygiene, brushing and flossing regularly would ease the issues. However, for serious gum recession, the dentist might suggest a gum graft (where tissue from the palette would be taken and placed over the root to protect the tooth). If its teeth grinding that’s causing the issue, then you will have to forcefully stop doing that, followed by placing a mudguard at night to prevent night grinding.
Initially, the dentist would advise using a desensitizing toothpaste to help block the pain associated with sensitive teeth. If that doesn’t solve the problem, then the dentist applies fluoride to the tooth to strengthen tooth enamel. Your dentist might advise root canal if the pain is severe and if other treatments aren’t as effective. Root canal treatment in Wakrah is the most effective answer for solving problems in the tooth’s software core or dental pulp. And as explained earlier, if a lot of gum tissue is lost, then the dentist would have to perform a surgical gum graft.
If there is an underlying condition for the sensitivity, like for example, GERD, that would be treated first. For receding gums, following proper dental hygiene, brushing and flossing regularly would ease the issues. However, for serious gum recession, the dentist might suggest a gum graft (where tissue from the palette would be taken and placed over the root to protect the tooth). If it’s teeth grinding that’s causing the issue, then you will have to forcefully stop doing that, followed by placing a mudguard at night to prevent night grinding. Remember, prevention is way better than cure!
Sensitive teeth, if ignored can manifest into serious issues. There can be infections, which can spread leading to tooth loss, tooth abscess and other issues. Failure to seek treatment can even lead to permanent damage and serious complications, and sometimes even life-threatening complications.
The tooth can become so sensitive that the pain is unbearable when you brush, floss, drink cold/hot liquids, use alcohol based mouthwashes, and even cold air can hurt. Visit Naseem Medical Centre, with its dental centre to meet with a dentist, to perform regular dental checkups, to practice dental hygiene and to know if all your teeth are healthy and fine.
