Tooth Sensitivity
To understand tooth sensitivity it helps to understand the structure of the tooth.
The outer layer of the tooth is called enamel. It is hard and insensitive. Underneath the enamel is the dentine this layer is hard but it contains tiny tubules that lead directly to the nerve in the centre of the tooth. When this layer is stimulated by cold, hot, sweet or touch we feel pain in the tooth. The root surface has no protective layer but is normally covered by bone and gum.
General sensitivity can occur if enamel is lost from the surface of the tooth or the root surface is exposed.
Sensitivity originating from one specific tooth can mean that there are fractures in your tooth or filling, there is decay in the tooth or there are bacteria inside the nerve of the tooth.. There are many causes for sensitive teeth and if you have sensitivity then it is wise to have it correctly diagnosed by a dentist. Please email caroline@mdtdental.com.au or call the surgery 99083466. Early treatment can save a lot of time and money in the long term.
General Sensitivity
There are many reasons why you may experience general sensitivity while you are eating and drinking, breathing in cold air or brushing your teeth. The main two are exposure of the root surface of the tooth and loss of enamel from the surface of the tooth.
1. Exposure of the root surface of the tooth
This can occur for a number of reasons
Gum disease (periodontal disease). Once the attachment of the tooth and the gum is lost due to inflammation the gum recedes exposing the root surface. Once this has occurred then it is very difficult to reverse. Please see our information Do I have gum disease?
High acid levels in the mouth. This can be caused by a diet high in sugar and acid vinegar or lemon, reduced saliva flow, gastric reflux, and some medications e.g. steroids for asthma
Dry mouth For more information about causes and treatments for dry mouth please see our separate advice called Dry mouth.
Grinding and clenching your teeth. This has been shown to make the tooth flex and in certain areas this can cause the attachment of gum and tooth to be lost leading to exposure of root surfaces. The actual stress on the tooth caused by grinding can also make the nerve more sensitive to any stimulus.
Poor brushing technique with a hard brush and/or abrasive toothpaste
Inadequate bone around the tooth sometimes due to tooth position or movement.
2.General enamel loss
This occurs most often after prolonged and high levels of acid in the mouth.Acid levels may be high due to chronic voluntary and involuntary vomiting, gastric reflux or very regular consumption of high acid drinks. These include soft drinks (diet and regular), cordial, wine, sports drinks, fruit drinks and fruit juices. Without being too technical enamel starts to dissolve when the PH (or acid) level in your mouth is less than 5.5. The following drinks have a PH of less than 3 and therefore rapid demineralisation of the enamel surface can occur.while and after drinking. Powerade, Solo, Pepsi, Gatorade, Apple juice, Fanta, Ribena, Lucozade, Lime cordial, Sprite, Raspberry cordial, Coca-cola and Diet Coke.
What can I do?
It is very important to establish what is the cause of your sensitivity. Visiting your dentist will help you to understand why you have sensitivity and most importantly ways in which you can prevent further damage or in some cases reverse the damage done.
Some products that will help you are as follows.
Toothpastes for sensitive teeth. These products temporarily block the tubules running to the nerve and can therefore lead to a reduction in sensitivity.
Neutrafluor 5000 This high fluoride toothpaste encourages higher concentrations of fluoride which helps the tooth enamel to resist acid attack.
Recaldent products such as GC Tooth Mousse encourage the tooth surface to re-mineralise to reverse the damage done by high acid attack or poor buffering saliva
Dry mouth products such as biotene. This is useful in cases where saliva flow is reduced. |
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