ARE YOUR TEETH SENSITIVE? 

Experiencing that weird sharp sensation in teeth while eating your favorite ice cream or having your favorite dessert etc, trust me u are not the only one having this issue. As per the studies, almost 15 - 40% of the world population is facing the problem of teeth sensitivity and that is the reason that might prevent many of us from enjoying the food items we love and causing hindrances to normal life. Let’s see what it is and how u can get rid of it in a timely manner.

WHAT IS TOOTH SENSITIVITY? 

Dentin hypersensitivity or Tooth sensitivity is the feeling of sudden, short and sharp pain arising when exposed Dentin(middle soft protective covering of tooth containing nerve fibers) is subjected to external stimulus that can be thermal, electrical, mechanical or chemical.  Simply means, sudden pain of short duration (ranging from mild to moderate) that we feel when exposed Dentin comes in contact with high or low temperatures like ice creams or hot soups or chemicals such as in sour food items and citric beverages. More than 70% of people with sensitivity complaints of the pain upon coming in contact with cold stimulus.

CAUSES OF SENSITIVITY

Major cause of the tooth sensitivity is attributed to enamel loss. Enamel is outer hard protective layer of tooth, once it gets wear off, it leads to exposure of Dentin and in turns to sensitivity.

Consuming acidic food and beverages like excessive colas, aerated energy drinks, citric juices leads to bad impact on enamel, causing its wear and exposure of dentin, leading to sensitivity issues.

Aggressive or harsh tooth brushing techniques: Brushing too harsh or over brushing not leads to cleaner and whiter teeth instead it leads to negative impact on the health of your teeth. It is recommended to use pea size of tooth paste and brush your teeth for not more than 2 minutes using soft bristled tooth paste twice a day.

Gum Diseases: Building up of plaque or tartar over the tooth surface leads to recession of gums and causes enamel to disrupt exposing the nerves of dentin, making the situation more badly.

Dislodgement of old fillings/caps or patients after their braces treatment are more likely to experience this problem because of the disruption of enamel while going through treatment. Majority of the time there might be decay in the teeth which is spreading to the pulp level and can be the reason of pain.

Bruxism or Clenching: Bruxism is the grinding of teeth, can occur due to variety of reasons like stress, medical or neurological problem. Many of bruxers are usually unaware of their habits. It leads to headache and facial pain like symptoms. Do you grind your teeth or do heavy exercises? Then u must be prone to the symptoms of dental sensitivity problem as it causes a negative impact on enamel and dentin.

SOLUTION AND MANAGEMENT

Adopting healthy oral hygiene is the key to maintain the overall well being. What u can do managing your sensitivity at your level is also easy.

Use desensitizing tooth pastes that contains Potassium nitrate or Strontium chloride. You can just rub a little amount of tooth paste at the affected site with your fingers for faster relief.

Use mouth wash with desensitizing components as it helps in regenerating the destroyed part to some extent.

Use proper brushing technique, brush with a slight hand in a circular manner using soft bristled tooth brush.

Do visit your dentist for follow ups or in every six months.

Increase Green high fiber diet.

Don’t blind follow Teeth whitening items from any websites without proper recommendations from dentist.

If you are still unable to get this problem resolved or if u experience the pain lasting for more than an hour or have uncontrollable pain or any discoloration around your gums, it is highly recommended to do visit your dentist for thorough clinical examination to get the formal diagnosis done. Your dentist can suggest u with the best treatment option available as per the condition of your disease. After all, our aim is to create your smile beautiful and bright. Keep smiling.   

Dr. Himanshi

Consultant Dental Surgeon

New Delhi