Are your Teeth Sensitive? What makes them sensitive?
When the activities like brushing, flossing and eating or drinking something hot or frozen triggers sharp and temporary pain in your tooth or teeth , it is known as tooth sensitivity .The problem of tooth sensitivity arises, when your gums recede back thus exposing the surface beneath called dentin. Dentin has thousands of tiny tubes which lead to fluid filled nerves. Due to exposed dentin, these nerves get easily stimulated and trigger temporary pain in your tooth or teeth, when you eat or drink something hot or cold, touch your teeth or expose them to cold air.
Why do you experience this tooth malady?
You can experience tooth sensitivity because of the following reasons:
- Wear and tear of your tooth enamel due to brushing too hard or brushing your teeth with a hard bristled tooth brush.
- Eating too much of acidic foods can erode your tooth enamel and expose the dentin, thus leading to tooth sensitivity.
- Gum diseases or gingivitis result in inflamed and sore gums and also in receded gums thus exposing the roots of gums.
- Using too much mouthwash to keep your breath fresh or minty may lead to sore mouth and may turn your teeth sensitive.
- Grinding or clinching your teeth may wear down your tooth enamel and expose the dentin.
- If your teeth are broken or chipped, they get filled with bacteria. These bacteria enter the pulp causing pain and inflammation.
- Using too much of tooth whitening products and toothpastes with bleaching solutions can lead to teeth sensitivity.
- Your age can also be a determinant factor. Tooth sensitivity is maximum at the age of 25 and 30.
- Frequent tooth cleaning, root planning, crown replacement and tooth restorations to keep your smile pearly white can lead to tooth sensitivity.
- The building-up of plaque at the root surfaces can lead to tooth sensitivity.
- If your fillings get weakened or fractured and bacteria accumulate in theses cracked fillings, this leads to acid – formulation and enamel breakdown.
Contact Dr. Bikram Singh DMD for any of your tooth related problems. Our diligent and compassionate dentists will not only resolve your present problem but also educate you for the future.