Introduction: What is Tooth Sensitivity?
Teeth sensitivity is depicted in many ways. It can look like sharp pain from simple things like breathing in cold air or eating ice cream. Food may also hit a certain spot on your tooth and cause an unwelcome sensation that turns everyday pleasures into uncomfortable experiences.
Tooth sensitivity can be triggered by many things, the most common being cold, hot, sweet, and acidic stimuli (food or drinks). Most importantly, it’s not an occasional occurrence. Every bite, sip, or breath can be a trigger. In the end, it can affect how you enjoy food. It can also impact social interactions and affect your overall quality of life.
What Causes Sensitive Teeth?
Tooth sensitivity (also known as dentin hypersensitivity) occurs when the protective layers of a tooth/teeth are compromised, resulting in exposure of the underlying dentin, a porous tissue leading to the tooth pulp that hosts nerves.[1]
When the tubules in the dentin become exposed, external stimuli easily reach the nerves, causing pain. There are four main causes or stimuli for teeth sensitivity. They include:
1. Dental Sensitivity to Cold Temperatures
This is undoubtedly the most common/widely recognized cause of tooth sensitivity. The sensitivity is sudden and sharp when someone consumes cold foods/drinks. Inhaling cold air can also cause sensitivity.
2. Tooth Sensitive to Hot Drinks or Food
The teeth can also be sensitive to hot stimuli. This type of sensitivity is usually a sign of a more serious underlying dental condition when compared to sensitivity to cold. The sensitivity occurs when the dentinal tubules expand (due to hot temperatures) and push on nerve endings in the tooth pulp.
However, the sensitivity can also be a sign of inflammation or infection in the tooth pulp linked to a deep cavity, cracked tooth, or failing dental filling.
Book a dental appointment immediately if you are experiencing tooth sensitivity when you take hot drinks/food.
3. Teeth Sensitivity to Sugar
Sugar can also cause tooth sensitivity when it comes into contact with exposed dentin. The contact causes fluid to be drawn out of the tooth’s dentinal tubules (via osmosis). The result is a sweet sting that is surprisingly painful. The osmotic effect of sugar on exposed dentine causes the same nerve action caused by other stimuli.
4. Tooth Sensitivity to Acidic Foods and Drinks
Acidic foods/drinks or bleaching/whitening dental products like toothpaste can also cause tooth sensitivity when in contact with exposed tooth roots linked to gum recession.
Acidic foods and drinks include sodas/carbonated drinks, citrus fruits, fruit juices, salad dressings, etc. The acids in such foods/drinks erode the dentin over time or act on exposed dentin, irritating underlying nerve endings within exposed tubules.
5. Tooth Sensitive to Brushing
Besides stimuli, tooth sensitivity can also be caused by activities like brushing, when this happens, the tooth roots are usually exposed. This is usually common among persons with receding gums. If you experience such sensitivity, you already have exposed dentin, which could be due to acid foods, an underlying dental condition, or other reasons.
Teeth Sensitivity Symptoms
The most common signs of tooth sensitivity include:
- Pain: This is undoubtedly the most notable sign of teeth sensitivity. If you feel pain due to cold, hot, sweet, or acidic stimuli, you need to see a dentist. The pain is usually linked to direct contact with stimuli. It may increase over time and become unbearable. However, it can also decrease.
- Intermittent discomfort: Besides pain, teeth sensitivity can also cause discomfort that can come and go, and vary in severity.
- Lingering sensation: Tooth sensitivity is also evident as a lingering sensation that a few seconds to minutes after the underlying stimulus is removed.
To address these symptoms, especially if your sensitivity is increasing, it would be best to see the dentist before the situation worsens. Sensitivity varies from person to person, some are just more sensitive than others. A person could also have different periods of sensitivity, with natural fluctuations. It could be related to what they are eating at the time. There are several different variables at play. To be sure, we recommend booking a consultation with a trusted dentist to take a closer look at the matter.
Teeth Sensitivity Treatment/Remedies: What to Do About Teeth Sensitivity
Once your symptoms have been evaluated by a professional, here are some possible remedies/treatments they might prescribe:
- Dietary Changes
Tooth sensitivity caused by very cold or hot foods can be controlled by avoiding such foods. The same applies to sensitivity due to acidic and sweet foods. Given that sensitivity could be dictated by a change as seemingly simple as a fruit or vegetable season, evaluating if anything recently changed in your diet is a good place to start.
- Dental Treatment
In most cases, dietary changes just control the sensitivity, but they won’t deal with the common underlying causes, the infection. If tooth decay, periodontal disease, or related dental conditions are the root cause of enamel erosion and sensitivity, you need to see a dentist.
Dental treatment for sensitivity will vary depending on the underlying cause of the sensitivity, as well as other factors like the severity of the condition.
Here are common treatment options:
- Desensitizing solution: If your dentist observes you and finds no underlying dental condition, they may prescribe a desensitizing solution to help you cope with the sudden tooth sensitivity.
- Softer toothbrushes/brushing: If your sensitivity is linked to brushing, a soft-bristled toothbrush can help. Also, avoid aggressive tooth brushing.
- Dental filling: If the sensitivity is being caused by tooth decay, you may be a candidate for dental procedures like a filling.
- Root canal treatment: If you have severe tooth decay that has spread to the pulp (innermost parts of the teeth with nerves and blood vessels), you need root canal treatment to resolve resulting sensitivity, among other symptoms.
- Dental surgery: In severe cases where natural teeth can’t be saved, tooth extraction and dental surgery may be the best option to deal with sensitivity and resulting cosmetic dentistry issues.
- Oral Hygiene
If the underlying cause is dental conditions like decay, you’ll need to maintain good oral health to avoid the recurrence of the problem after treatment. This may include brushing after meals, flossing daily, and going for dental cleanings at least twice a year.
Final Thoughts
Your teeth can be sensitive because of many things. However, the most common causes are stimuli like cold, hot, sugary, and/or acidic beverages and food.
While sensitivity can affect people with good dental health, there are some cases where it’s a sign of underlying dental conditions like tooth decay, cracked/broken teeth, gum disease, and other issues like tooth grinding. To uncover the real cause of sensitivity and get professional help, see a dentist.
For tooth sensitivity treatment in Toronto, consider The Little Green Building – a Bloor West family dental clinic dedicated to offering families comprehensive dental treatment. Visit the clinic in person (Google Maps). Book an appointment NOW with lead dentist Dr. Michael Paltsev to get professional dental care.
References
[1] National Library of Medicine: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3927677/
