Treatments for Teeth Sensitivity

 Treatments for Teeth Sensitivity

 

Teeth sensitivity is a condition in which you experience sharp, temporary pain while eating foods like ice cream or drinking hot coffee.

In addition to the impact of foods with extreme temperatures, everyday activities like brushing or flossing can cause painful sensations.

If you suffer from sensitive teeth, it is essential to understand the root cause and potential treatments. Proper knowledge of these facets can help you implement various remedies without hassle.

This blog contains vital details on tooth sensitivity and practical treatments for this oral condition.

 

Understanding Teeth Sensitivity

Your teeth have an outer covering known as enamel. This layer is hard, semi-translucent, and protects the inner portion of your teeth.

The reason people suffer from tooth sensitivity is due to the existence of a comparatively thinner enamel. Here are some reasons for this:

  • Teeth grinding habit
  • Using a hard toothbrush
  • Regular consumption of acidic foods and beverages

These activities can damage your enamel, thereby causing tooth sensitivity.

In other cases, gum recession, decay, worn-down fillings, and gastroesophageal reflux can lead to this condition. Once you understand the main cause, choosing a treatment option becomes simpler.

 

Top Five Teeth Sensitivity Treatments

Understanding that your teeth sensitivity can be mild or severe is vital. You can treat mild teeth sensitivity by following specific home remedies. However, following the dentist’s advice is a must to avoid serious and long-lasting discomfort.

 

1. Use of Desensitized Toothpaste

Dentin is a tissue that lies beneath the teeth enamel and supports the overall structure. It surrounds the pulp and absorbs the pressure from activities like eating and chewing.

Desensitized toothpaste has compounds that reduce the permeability of dentin. Here are the main desensitizing agents:

  • Potassium
  • Oxalates
  • Ions

The reduced permeability due to these compounds decreases tooth sensitivity. Notably, the ingredients of a desensitized toothpaste reduce the exposure of the pulp and nerves to liquid and external elements in your mouth.

Hence, this simple treatment can help reduce the intensity of tooth sensitivity.

 

2. Dental Bonding

Sometimes, conditions like a cracked tooth can worsen your teeth sensitivity. In such a case, you can choose dental bonding, a non-invasive tooth restoration treatment.

In this process, an oral expert will rough and moisten your tooth. Next, they will apply a bonding resin to the surface. This process can also lead to the following benefits:

  • No impact on the enamel
  • Cover dark stains
  • Close gaps between teeth
  • Seal nerve endings

The final advantage is vital to decreasing tooth sensitivity. As this is a professional treatment, you will need an experienced dentist in your area to perform the procedure.

 

3. Surgical Gum Graft

Surgery can prove advantageous if gum recession is the main cause of teeth sensitivity.

A gum graft is a treatment for replacing missing or impacted gum with suitable local tissue. There are three types of surgical gum graft procedures:

  • Connective tissue grafts
  • Pedicle grafts
  • Free gingival grafts

The selection of a particular procedure depends on the extent of gum recession and tissue availability. This process reduces teeth sensitivity by covering exposed roots.

Healthy gums are vital for good oral health. Hence, you can choose this surgical treatment to augment gum health and take care of possible gum disease.

 

4. Fluoride and Soft Toothbrush

If you do not have serious dental issues, fluoride gel or toothpaste can minimize tooth sensitivity.

This treatment is auxiliary and requires the following elements:

  • Toothpaste
  • Mouthwash
  • Gel

Your dentist can strengthen the tooth enamel by applying a layer of fluoride gel. This treatment reduces sensitivity by decreasing the transmission of external pressure.

In addition, using a toothbrush with soft bristles helps preserve the surface of your teeth. Such an inclusion ensures low pressure on the enamel, reducing the overall sensitivity.

 

5. Root Canal

In this dental procedure, the dentist eliminates bacteria inside the affected tooth without requiring extraction.

If your teeth sensitivity is a result of infection, a root canal can be the best option. In this process, an oral health expert will remove the infected pulp and fill the teeth with a suitable material.

This process can solve the problem of dental infection and reduce tooth sensitivity to a significant extent. However, it is vital to consult your dentist about this treatment.

 

Preventing Teeth Sensitivity

General mouth hygiene tips can help you prevent or control teeth sensitivity. Ensure that you follow these suggestions to take care of the dental sensitivity aspect:

  • Brush your teeth at least twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste
  • Do not put excessive pressure on your teeth during brushing and flossing
  • Use a mouth guard if you have the habit of teeth grinding
  • Limit the consumption of acidic foods and beverages
  • Consume food items like garlic and cloves
  • Gargle periodically with warm water and salt mixture
  • Drink plenty of water and gargle after drinking carbonated drinks

Overall, teeth sensitivity is controllable if you follow certain precautions and choose suitable treatments.

 

In a Nutshell

Teeth sensitivity can be a result of mild to serious dental issues. Hence, it is crucial to know your root cause to decide on an appropriate treatment.

Using desensitized paste, bonding, gum graft, fluoride, and root canal are effective teeth sensitivity treatments. You can follow tips like using a toothbrush with soft bristles without significant dental knowledge.

However, it is vital to consult an expert dentist to choose other treatments for reducing tooth sensitivity.

Going to the dentist while pregnant

Is it safe to go to the dentist while pregnant? This is an important question that we are asked by patients of Pure Dental Arts who are expecting. We will take a look at the research first and discuss.

 

The latest research has shown that preventive, diagnostic, and restorative dentistry is safe for the pregnant patient, and that use of local anesthetics with epinephrine (lidocaine, mepivacaine, bucaine) is safe. According to the ADA and the American Congress of Obstreticians and Gynocologists, agree that in addition to the above accepted procedures, that emergency procedures such as fillings, root canals, or extractions can be safely done on a pregnant patient, and that delaying such treatment may lead to more complex problems that could potentially cause issues with the pregnancy.

 

During pregnancy, several oral health conditions are commonplace:

Gum issues: increased risk of gingivitis may arise as a result of changes in hormones that increase the immune response to bacteria in the gum tissue. This leads to chronic inflammation and potential for tissue destruction.
Cavities: Increased incidence of tooth decay can be due to increased cravings for snacks and high sugar foods, as well as increased acidity in the mouth due to possible nausea and vomiting, as well dry mouth, and/or poor hygiene due to fatigue and stress.
Pregnancy tumors: these are benign gum tumors that may develop on the gums as a result of hormonal/immune changes.
Tooth erosion: this is when the tooth surfaces get worn down, literally like rocks on a beach getting worn away by ocean waves over time. This typically occurs as a result of morning sickness, as the acid from the vomit will cause tooth destruction. Interestingly enough, the solution here is NOT to brush immediately after vomiting, as this may spread the acid around, but instead to rinse the mouth with water and baking soda in order to neutralize the acid.

The importance of daily oral hygiene needs to be emphasized to the pregnant patient. In other words, basics such as 1) brushing twice daily with a soft tooth brush for 2 minutes 2) using fluoride tooth pastes and rinses and 3) cleaning in between the teeth with floss, WaterPiks, or interproximal brushes.

 

There is a lot of research behind the relationship between gum disease, or periodontitis, and pregnancy outcomes. Researchers have established an association between periodontitis and low birthweight and/or preterm birth, as well pre-eclampsia. Even though a clear “cause and effect” has not been clearly established, it would be in the best interest of the expecting mother to undergo treatment for gum disease if she has it. Conservative treatments such as scaling and root planing (“deep cleaning”) can be safely done in this case.

 

As mentioned the use of typical dental anesthetics is acceptable. What about antibiotics? In this case we will defer to the patient’s OBGYN. However, it is recommended that the use of Nitrous Oxide (“Laughing Gas”) is to be avoided. Nitrous is classified as a pregnancy risk by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.

 

What about radiographs (x-rays)? The most current research shows that radiographs can be safely done at any stage of pregnancy! The only caveat is that proper thyroid and abdominal lead shielding be done for the pregnant patient.

 

In summary, being pregnant does not mean you have to avoid the dentist. In fact, doing so can complicate your pregnancy. If you are pregnant and would like to establish proper dental care, contact Pure Dental Arts at 2064868600 today! or book an online appointment 

References 

https://www.ada.org/resources/research/science-and-research-institute/oral-health-topics/pregnancy
Favero V, Bacci C, Volpato A, Bandiera M, Favero L, Zanette G. Pregnancy and Dentistry: A Literature Review on Risk Management during Dental Surgical Procedures. Dent J (Basel). 2021 Apr 19;9(4):46. doi: 10.3390/dj9040046. PMID: 33921608; PMCID: PMC8072957