If you are avoiding cold foods and beverages, it might be because you have sensitive teeth. If this is the case, you may want to know what’s causing this painful condition. Sensitive teeth can result from some underlying dental issues. However, a general dentist in Sterling Heights should diagnose your condition so they can develop an appropriate treatment plan.
Understanding Tooth Sensitivity
Your teeth can develop sensitivity when their protective layers wear down. Protective enamel covers the portion of your teeth above the gum line. A material known as cementum protects the roots below the gum line. Dentin, which is located underneath the cementum and enamel, tends to be less dense than these protective coverings. It contains dentin tubules, which are microscopic canals. If your protective coverings wear down or get damaged, the dentin is exposed. When such exposure happens as your gum recedes, the tubules let fluid flow in them. They are impacted by cold and heat, causing tooth nerves to have pain and sensitivity.
Tooth sensitivity can occur because of different things. It can occur when your tooth enamel wears down due to aggressive brushing or using a toothbrush with hard bristles. Also, tooth erosion can cause sensitivity after you take highly acidic beverages and foods. Dental issues that can expose your tooth’s dentin, such as tooth decay, broken teeth, and leaky fillings, can make your teeth sensitive. Other causes of tooth sensitivity include gum recession, and teeth grinding.
How Tooth Sensitivity Can be Treated
A more complex dental issue usually causes tooth sensitivity. Thus, you must visit a dentist and get treatment for your dental problem. Possible solutions include dental bonding, crowns, and inlays, depending on how serious the issue is. If you are suffering from advanced gum disease, you must also get treatment for it. Your dentist will help you create a treatment plan.
For gum tissue loss, a surgical gum graft may be used for covering the roots. If your tooth sensitivity is serious and persistent, your dentist may take an X-ray to know if you need root canal therapy.
Moreover, if you have less serious sensitivity, you can manage it with at-home techniques. Desensitizing toothpaste may give you relief by protecting your tooth surface. Also, your dentist might suggest that you get a fluoride gel treatment to strengthen your tooth enamel and reduce sensation in the nerve.
Prevention is the best treatment for tooth sensitivity. A worn-down enamel can no longer be fixed. To prevent tooth sensitivity, you must brush and floss your teeth at least two times a day for two minutes.