Tooth sensitivity is tooth pain due to a wear-out of the tooth's surface or gum tissue. The most common cause of sensitive teeth in adults is exposed tooth roots due to receding gums. Because these roots are not covered by enamel, thousands of tiny channels leading to the tooth's nerve center (pulp) are exposed. When heat, cold or pressure is felt on these channels, pain develops.
Ignoring your sensitive teeth can lead to other oral health problems. This is especially true if the pain causes you to brush poorly, making you vulnerable to tooth decay and gum disease.
If you feel a painful sensation in your teeth after drinking or eating hot or cold food and beverages, you are experiencing tooth sensitivity. It's a condition that affects one out of four adults.
Talk to your dentist or dental hygienist.
Sensitive teeth can usually be treated successfully. Your dentist may prescribe a brush-on fluoride gel or a fluoride rinse. You can also try low-abrasion toothpastes with formulations made especially for sensitive teeth. Ask your dentist which anti-sensitivity products are right for you.
Be careful to brush properly or you can cause your teeth to wear away, making them sensitive. Harsh brushing, the clasp of a partial denture, and braces can also lead to the deterioration of tooth surfaces.
Special tooth paste
Use desensitizing toothpaste. Tooth sensitivity due to enamel abrasion or gum-line recession can't be treated with dental fillings. Instead, try brushing with desensitizing toothpaste, which you can buy over the counter. These special toothpastes contain ingredients that diminish sensitivity by filling channels (known as tubules) in the dentin. Try putting some of the toothpaste on your finger or on a cotton swab and spreading it over the sensitive spots before you go to bed. Spit, but don't rinse. Within a few weeks, your teeth should begin to feel less sensitive.
Fluoride rinse.
Fluoride rinses, available without a prescription at your local pharmacy or in the dental section of your super market, can help decrease sensitivity, especially for people experiencing decay problems. Use it once a day. Swish it around in your mouth, and then spit it out. Sometimes, people with sensitive teeth need a stronger fluoride rinse or gel than the ones available over the counter. For example, some treatments for gum disease, such as root planing (which reduces plaque), can leave sensitive teeth even more sensitive than usual. In such situations, dentists can apply a fluoride gel that helps relieve the problem.
Keep your teeth clean.
Plaque, the white gummy substance that forms on teeth, produces an acid that irritates teeth, especially if your teeth are naturally sensitive. Brush at least twice, preferably right after eating and especially before bed, and flossing at least once.
Use a soft toothbrush.
People actually cause tooth sensitivity by brushing with too much force and/or brushing with a hard-bristled brush, which can damage the protective tooth enamel. When the gum-line recedes; often as a natural part of the aging process, exposed dentin becomes even more vulnerable to toothbrush abrasion. Use a brush with the softest bristles you can find, applying only a small amount of pressure when brushing. Practically, a lighter movement allows the bristles to move more freely and do its job more effectively than when you brush too hard.
Stop Chewing tobacco.
It has now become a popular habit in some among many male teenagers. There is a huge misconception that chewing tobacco is less harmful than smoking cigarettes. However, in addition to causing mouth cancers, chewing tobacco causes the gums to recede, a major cause of gum sensitivity and decay. There is no safe cigarette or safe tobacco.