For anybody who has ever enjoyed cold ice cream and hot soup, tooth sensitivity can create real pain. Knowing the cause of tooth sensitivity can be essential to treating it, and getting you back to eating those hot and cold foods comfortably.
Temporary Sensitivity
Some kinds of tooth sensitivity are, luckily, temporary, and we hope that this list will reassure you as to whether you just need to seek treatment, or can just wait until your teeth return to normal.
- Over-Brushing: Gum recession, thanks to over-brushing your teeth or brushing too aggressively, is one of the more common causes of tooth sensitivity. These cases are generally temporary, but if it happens repeatedly, then be sure to ask your dentist about the right way to brush your teeth and whether the brush you are using is right for you.
- Teeth Whitening: While this process has not been linked to any lasting tooth damage, whitening procedures can lead to short-term hyper-sensitive teeth. In these cases, the best solution is to use a straw when drinking cold fluids, and waiting the prescribed amount of time before eating or drinking items with extreme temperatures.
- Post-Treatment Sensitivity: Many dentists will warn you about the possibility of short-term sensitivity when it comes to undergoing certain procedures. If this occurs of you think that it might, ask your dentist to inform you as to the best way to avoid discomfort.
Causes of Lasting Sensitivity
While sensitivity of the teeth is temporary in some cases, for others it is the warning sign or consequence of neglect or decay. If you have chronic pain from sensitivity in your teeth, you might suffer from:
- Gum Disease: Disease of various kinds can lead to the lasting recession of your gums. When this occurs, the roots of your teeth are exposed, leaving you open to pain from hot and cold food/drink, and sometimes causing pain on contact.
- Tooth and Enamel Decay: Tooth decay from a cavity or the breakdown of the enamel coating your teeth will most often lead to the exposure of nerves in the roots of your teeth. In these cases, it is essential that you visit your dentist to diagnose the core of the problem so that you can treat it.
- Tooth grinding: If you have a combination of a sore jaw and sensitive teeth, then you may suffer from the unconscious grinding of your teeth. For many this grinding occurs during sleep and can only be solved by adopting a night guard and treating the damage that has already been done.
Contact Our Honolulu Dental Office for Help
If you suffer from sensitive teeth and want to diagnose and correct the cause, then contact Dr. Stephen R. Ho. We will be happy to assist you from our office conveniently located by the Hilton Resort in Honolulu, Hawaii. Call us today!