Tooth Sensitivity

In most cases, tooth sensitivity is reversible with preventative home care. However, pain from an abscess or dead tooth is serious, and if you are in pain and unsure of the cause, make an appointment with your dentist. Identifying the root cause of non-urgent tooth sensitivity is important in order to make appropriate changes in oral care habits and adopt a long-term strategy that solves the issue, not simply masks the symptoms.

ABOUT TOOTH SENSITIVITY

When a tooth's enamel becomes weak or porous, it cannot adequately protect the live cells and nerves inside a tooth. Most people with acid-softened teeth notice their teeth are sensitive and hurt when they eat or drink hot or cold beverages. The more porous your enamel, the more easily the inside of your tooth can be harmed. Keeping the outside of a tooth strong and remineralized is the key, not only to avoiding tooth pain and cavities, but also to extending the lifelong health of the inside of your teeth.

TREATABLE SENSITIVITY VS SERIOUS CONDITION

A painful sensation that lasts fewer than two minutes usually indicates the problem is reversible. It is a warning that your teeth are not healthy, but it may not be urgent. Usually, the longer the pain continues, the more serious it is. However, when pain is felt by pressing on a tooth, then it is usually an urgent dental issue because this kind of pressure is normally caused by fluids accumulating from a bacterial infection inside the tooth or an abscess in or around the tooth’s root. If a tooth dies, bacteria will invade the pulp, causing a buildup of fluid that creates pressure inside the tooth. Unless dental care relieves this pressure, it will eventually push into the bone, forming an abscess, which can be painful and dangerous.

To determine if tooth sensitivity is the result of a serious condition or is treatable with home care, ask yourself the following questions:

1. When you feel pain from hot or cold, is the pain:
   1. immediate, as if directly on the outside of the tooth? Or,
   2. delayed or persist for more than two minutes and feels like a throbbing inside the tooth?
2. When you eat or drink, does the pain:
   1. appear to come directly after food or drink? Or,
   2. start as you begin chewing or when pressing down on the tooth?
3. When you look at your teeth, do you have:
   1. thin enamel or a groove at the sides of the gum, all along your back teeth? Or,
   2. a piece of tooth missing, a large old filling, or a cavity (hole) in the area?

If you answered yes to questions "a," the problem is generally reversible, and you should take preventive action. However, if you answered yes to questions "b," the problem is more likely to be caused by infection—either in your gums or in a tooth—so you should seek treatment sooner rather than later.

POTENTIAL REASONS FOR SENSITIVITY

Tooth sensitivity due to excessive mineral loss, damaged biofilm, and gum recession can be caused by several factors, such as:

• Frequent cleanings could weaken teeth, thin enamel, and cause sensitivity through the removal of biofilm (a vital protective protein layer).
• Tooth whitening with peroxide, bleach, or other whitening agents affects the deeper layers of teeth, altering the tooth’s internal protein structure and causing sensitivity and damage to gums.
• Any aggressive antiseptic, like chlorhexidine, or the use of antibiotics can abruptly kill all mouth bacteria (good and bad). Losing beneficial mouth bacteria upsets the oral microbiome, leading to tooth sensitivity among other dental problems.
• Flossing can contribute to gum recession, which creates tooth sensitivity.
• Baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and oil pulling strips the thin protective protein layer–biofilm–that covers teeth and stops sensitivity, enamel erosion, and gum recession.