Tips on Dealing with Sensitive Teeth

Sensitive teeth can deliver some of the most irritating and intense pain you can feel. Just think about how terrible it feels to bite into a delicious ice cream cone only to feel searing pain shoot through your teeth right to their roots. Or how awful it is when you bite into a delicious but smoky slice of pizza, only to feel fire shooting through your teeth when you do.

You can’t avoid the pain because you can’t avoid using your teeth. Even if you try to resort to a liquid diet, any temperatures outside of perfectly lukewarm are likely to send waves of pain through your mouth.

Sometimes, sensitive teeth are the result of serious problems in the mouth, such as gum disease or tooth decay. It is important that you visit a North Phoenix dentist to get a thorough exam to get to the source of the problem.

Sometimes, sensitive teeth are just a personal quirk — the result of your genetics. Fortunately, there are things you can do at home to minimize the pain.

Here are a few things you can try to deal with sensitive teeth and start enjoying ice cream and coffee again:

Avoid Acidic Foods and Drinks

Acid breaks down enamel, which provides a protective coating on your teeth. Without that coating, your teeth are more sensitive to temperature changes and to sharp textures.

Sugars can also build up on the teeth and create plaque and tartar, which can cause further damage to the teeth. Sugar has acid in it, which makes it doubly bad for your teeth.

Avoid foods and drinks that have sugars and acids. Soda is a top offender for both, as is citrus. You’ll also want to avoid sugary treats like candy, cookies, cakes and pie. Candy is especially problematic since it is also sticky and it allows the sugar to remain on your teeth for much longer, increasing the damage done.

Get Fluoride Treatment

Fluoride also helps to add minerals to your teeth that can protect them from pain. The minerals that fluoride adds help to protect the teeth from the damaging effects of acids. While your enamel will never grow back once it’s been damaged, the minerals will help to offer some of the protection that the enamel once did.

Some toothpaste has fluoride in it, as well as some mouth rinses. Using these every day can help to protect your teeth and minimize the sensitivity you feel.

Of course, you can also see a dentist to get a fluoride treatment. This treatment is a very effective way to get fluoride protection.

Use the Right Toothpaste

There are many different types of toothpaste to treat all types of tooth issues or to get different outcomes. You can buy a toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth.

Toothpaste for sensitive teeth has special minerals that help to block the nerve receptors in the teeth. With continued use of the toothpaste, you won’t feel pain from temperature changes and different textures. In some cases, the toothpaste can help to completely block the pain, while in other cases, it only dulls it. The results depend on the severity of your pain and what is causing it.

There are many things that can cause tooth sensitivity, so it is important that you get a complete evaluation from your dentist before you decide to treat the issue yourself. You could have tooth decay or some other major issue causing your tooth pain, and you might need surgery or some other professional treatment. Once you rule out these bigger issues, you can try these at-home treatments.

Aesthetic Dentistry of Arrowhead offers complete Glendale dental services to give you a healthy yet beautiful smile. We can help you understand the reasons for your tooth sensitivity, and we can rule out any underlying problems that could be causing you other oral health issues. We have a complete range of services including gum therapy and restorative dentistry. Once you have your pain managed, we can also give you options for improving the look of your smile, including the alignment and whiteness of it. Call us today to schedule an evaluation and learn more about your options.