Have you ever bitten into a slice of cake and felt a sharp jolt of pain in your tooth? This shocking sensation is known as tooth sensitivity. Though the pain fades quickly when you remove the food from the tooth, it still points to a structural issue in your tooth.
Pain of any kind is abnormal, including if it feels intermittent. So make sure you tell your dentist about tooth sensitivity and any other dental symptoms right away. Tooth sensitivity does not go away on its own, so you should not ignore the issue.
You can feel more encouraged to seek professional treatment for tooth sensitivity when you know more about it. So find responses from your dentist to frequently asked questions about tooth sensitivity by reading on.
Why Do My Teeth Feel Sensitive?
Tooth sensitivity pain occurs when an external stimulus, such as food, touches an exposed nerve in the tooth. Usually, your teeth feature a hard outer layer called enamel that shields the entire surface of the tooth, including underlying nerves.
But over time, enamel may erode for a number of reasons, and this can leave the nerves inside the tooth vulnerable to stimulation from external threats. Enamel will not regenerate once it deteriorates, so you will need treatment from a dentist to address lost and weakened enamel and tooth sensitivity.
How Do I Stop Tooth Sensitivity Pain?
As mentioned, your enamel will not regrow, so you will need to find some way to replace the thinned enamel and stop external stimulants from touching nerves in the tooth and causing sensitivity pain. In mild cases of enamel loss, you may try desensitizing toothpaste. It contains ingredients that block nerves from transmitting pain signals to your brain, bringing you relief from tooth sensitivity.
However, if you lose a significant amount of enamel, you may need restorative treatment in the form of a dental crown. A dentist can use this ceramic cap to cover the entire affected tooth. It seals into place for long-lasting protection to replace lost enamel and restore the tooth’s structure.
Sometimes, an underlying dental problem, like a cavity, can cause tooth sensitivity. If a dentist treats a cavity with a dental filling, then the tooth sensitivity symptom will go away too. Schedule a dental consultation to find the right treatment to resolve your tooth sensitivity.
Can I Prevent Tooth Sensitivity?
Dental issues like cavities may wear down your enamel and cause tooth sensitivity. But enamel can also erode due to substances that you consume. To prevent dental erosion, avoid consuming acidic or sugary foods and beverages. They will eat away at your teeth to the point you could suffer tooth sensitivity.
You should also practice good oral hygiene to remove food particles and harmful plaque that could otherwise encourage natural oral bacteria to eat away at your dental structure. Brush your teeth at least twice a day, floss daily, and attend regular dental cleanings to maximize oral hygiene. Find more preventative dental care when you give your dentist a call.