Dental sensitivity is a common but unfortunate problem that many people experience daily. People may experience dental sensitivity for a variety of reasons, and it may affect only one tooth or many or all the teeth. What most people do not realize is that the major causes of dental pain are easily treatable or preventable through simple interventions.
Understanding the most common triggers for dental pain and tooth sensitivity can help you to discover solutions to resolve your dental difficulties for good.
Change Your Diet
The food you eat and the beverages you drink can exacerbate dental sensitivity. In fact, many people do not experience dental pain or sensitivity when they are not eating or drinking.
Foods that are sweet or acidic are especially known to trigger dental pain. Citrus fruits, sour candy, and similar foods are common triggers. For some people, spicy foods may also trigger pain and sensitivity. As with most triggers on this list, these foods are best reduced or avoided in the diet if you find they consistently trigger your dental sensitivity.
Consider the Impact of Temperatures
The temperature of your food and drink or even of the outside air can have a significant impact on your dental sensitivity. Many people report dental sensitivity that is only triggered by exposure to heat or cold.
For example, crunching ice cubes or eating ice cream can be major triggers for people who have teeth that are sensitive to cold. For those with heat sensitivity, drinking hot coffee or eating hot soup is a trigger.
Avoiding temperature extremes in food and drink is an important way to reduce dental sensitivity. Waiting that extra five minutes for your drink to cool will go a long way to keeping your mouth comfortable.
Change Up Your Mouth Care Routine
How you clean your teeth – and how often and how well you clean them – may have a great deal of importance for reducing the sensitivity of your teeth.
One example of this is the type of toothpaste you use to brush your teeth. People who experience tooth sensitivity may be well-advised to switch their brand of toothpaste for one that is specially formulated for people with sensitive teeth and to use it regularly.
How Dental Care Impacts the Sensitivity of Your Teeth
Taking good care of your teeth can pay off when it comes to preventing or reducing dental sensitivity and pain. Crooked, chipped, and broken teeth are more likely to cause pain. Tooth and gum disease can cause exacerbations of dental pain, as well as cavities and other dental conditions.
For these reasons, going for routine dental exams and treatments as recommended by your dentist is the best way to prevent dental sensitivity from occurring or from getting worse. Nipping these issues in the bud – for example, by promoting excellent dental hygiene or by filling cavities as soon as they are detected – can go a long way toward preventing worsened dental pain.
It is important to note there may be some transient sensitivity associated with dental procedures such as the placement of porcelain veneers, teeth whitening, or even something as non-invasive as routine cleaning. This pain should be easily treated with over-the-counter analgesics, and should not last more than a day or two at most.
Talk with Your Dentist Regarding Causes
There may be more complicated reasons for your dental pain that cannot be easily diagnosed using the Internet. Problems involving the nerves of the teeth and dental root-related pain are best discussed with your dentist. Your dentist can assess and treat these problems better than you are likely able to on your own.
A dentist should address untreatable dental sensitivity, and dental pain with a rapid onset that is severe in nature should be seen immediately, as it may be a sign of more prominent health or dental problems.
One common cause of dental sensitivity is tooth grinding. People who grind their teeth may wear down the surface of their enamel, as well as cause pain to the root of the teeth and the gums. A dentist may recommend you wear a night guard for your teeth to prevent this from happening. Night guards can be custom fitted to your teeth to fit the specific intricacy of your mouth. By preventing teeth grinding, these teeth guards prevent dental sensitivity both during the day and at night time.
Whether this will be your first visit to the dentist or you’ve been to our office before in the past, scheduling an appointment with Owens Cosmetic and Family Dentistry is a great way to take the first step toward solving your dental sensitivity for good.
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