One of the four major components of our teeth is dentine. When the nerves inside the dentin layer of the tooth are exposed to the environment via the dentin, its hypersensitivity is felt loud and clear. The piercing pain of sensitive teeth can be frightening for a large number of world’s inhabitants. This feeling can range from a slight nuisance all the way to extreme, bursting pain. The experience occurs whenever eating hot, spicy and sour food or drinking icy water, and is usually felt as a sharp, searing pain.
Not many people have a clear understanding of, or know how to reduce, the feeling of tooth sensitivity, although it is a very common occurrence. Thus, they lose the joy of eating, which can lead to poor nutrition that prevents people from living a quality life. The first step in doing something about dental sensitivity is to discover what the cause is. Your dentist can help you with this. There are a number of steps your dentist can advise you to take to help ease the sensitivity, if the sensitivity is due to exposed dentin.
Among older people, or people who fail to brush their teeth properly, a common dental problem is gum recession. A more acute form of gum disease occurs when loss of secondary bone results in bacterial infection, which is called periodontitis. This may expose the roots below the gum, which make the teeth extremely sensitive, when the gum tissue pulls away from the teeth.
Over the years, drinking fizzy beverages such as sodas can cause wearing away of the enamel due to a chemical process called erosion, which exposes the dentin. As people age, similar symptoms can arise from tooth grinding, known as bruxism. Tooth grinding mainly occurs during sleep, and can be caused by a combination of crooked or missing teeth or even an abnormal bite, and underlying tension and unease. This grinding may cause most or all of the teeth to feel sensitive.
Although it may seem like you are cleaning your teeth exceptionally well, brushing with very coarse toothpaste, or scrubbing more than three times a day, is not recommended. As you age, brushing incorrectly in such a manner can result in a loss of enamel. This is a common cause for sensitive teeth among older people.
Females greater than 30 years of age are at high risk of sensitive teeth, particularly women who have just given birth. Furthermore, those who have just had their teeth whitened are also subject to this phenomenon of sensitive teeth. Eating is not pleasant or exciting anymore, since some people may have to bid farewell to their favorite food because of this.
You dentist can offer solutions and treatments to all your tooth sensitivity issues. They may include having fillings put over the exposed root that is causing the sensitivity, the application of dental sealants, or a recommendation to wear a custom-made night guard or retainer, if the problems are a result of teeth grinding.
Contact a dentist or dental hygienist at Water Brook Dental in Washington DC for a dental check-up and other dental needs. Water Brook Dental has two locations in Washington DC. The Columbia Heights location is very conveniently located to Downtown DC, Northeast DC, Adams Morgan, Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, U-Street Corridor, Mount Pleasant and many other parts of Washington. The Eastern Ave NW location is conveniently located to Downtown Silver Spring, Takoma Park MD, Silver Spring MD, Colesville, and other parts of Maryland as well as Northern Virginia and other parts of Virginia.
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