There are a few relatively common dental conditions out there, and one of these is the realm of tooth sensitivity. Impacting about one in every eight people, tooth sensitivity symptoms can range from minor aches and pains up to massive, life-altering pain — luckily, though, there are some good solutions available for people who deal with it.
At Trimble Dental, we’re proud to offer general dentistry and related services that assist clients with a huge range of potential issues, including tooth sensitivity and any related problems. What exactly is tooth sensitivity, and what are some of the methods our dentists commonly recommend to clients who deal with it, depending on severity and other factors? This two-part blog series will go over everything you need to know here.
Tooth Sensitivity Basics and Causes
As we noted above, tooth sensitivity can vary pretty significantly from person to person. For some people it’s present only rarely, causing minor discomfort that goes away quickly and doesn’t require any special treatment. Others, however, have to deal with chronic, debilitating pain, particularly when they eat or drink anything cold that triggers the sensitivity.
There are a few different things that can cause tooth sensitivity in the first place. In some cases, it’s simply due to an issue with the enamel — this is the hard outer layer of each tooth that protects the inner layers, made up of things like dentin. When the enamel wears down, it can expose the dentin and lead to increased sensitivity as a result.
Other times, though, it has more to do with the gum line or cavity issues. If the gum line recedes, it can leave more of the root exposed. And cavities, of course, are another big issue that can cause pain and sensitivity.
Luckily, there are ways to stop pain from sensitive teeth. Our next several sections will go over the most common.
Desensitizing Toothpaste
For many people, desensitizing toothpaste is a good first step towards reducing pain. These pastes don’t necessarily fix the underlying issue, but they can help to numb the nerve endings and reduce the amount of pain you feel when you eat or drink.
There are a few different brands of desensitizing toothpaste on the market, so it pays to do your research. If you’re looking for good recommendations here, our staff will be happy to help.
Topical Fluoride Application
For others still, topical fluoride application is the best way to go. This isn’t something you can do on your own; we recommend coming in for a professional session with one of our dentists if you’re interested in trying this method out.
This treatment involves us coating your teeth with a special fluoride based gel that penetrates deep into the enamel and helps to strengthen it. This can reduce the risk of cavities and also help to reduce pain and sensitivity.
In part two of our series, we’ll go over some more involved procedures that may be necessary for those who deal with extreme tooth sensitivity. For more on this, or to learn about any of our dental implants, cosmetic dentistry or any of our other dental care services, contact our staff at Trimble Dental today.