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What can I do about my sensitive teeth?

Most people have it at it some stage. You take a sip of ice cold water, you drink a cold orange juice, you have a cup of tea or you eat something sweet and you get a very focused sensitive spot on a tooth. This is pretty common.

Why is there sensitivity?

Often sensitivity can result from the gums receding resulting in a layer of the tooth, called dentine, to be exposed. Dentine has thousands of tiny tubes that lead to the nerve in the middle of the tooth. These channels can be triggered when you have something hot, cold or sweet to eat.

Sensitivity can also occur if you have advanced tooth decay, if you grind your teeth, if you eat or drink lots of acidic foods and drinks and if you have gum disease.

What can be done about the sensitivity?

Well that depends on why the sensitivity occurs in the first place. As you can see from above there are multiple reasons why sensitivity happens. The best place to start is to see your dentist and explain where you have the sensitivity. The dentist can then assess the tooth, assess your dietary lifestyle and give an indication of why the sensitivity is happening in the first place. Once that’s established recommendations or treatment can be advised.

Let me give you a scenario: You see your dentist and tell him/her that you suffer from sensitivity around the gum line of one of your back teeth. On assessment the gum has receded in this area, there’s no sign of decay, you don’t drink or eat excessive citrus fruits or drinks, but you use a scrubbing action with a manual tooth brush. So in this instance switch to a soft headed electric/ manual tooth brush, giving advice on correct tooth brushing technique, use a toothpaste designed for sensitivity, and the dentist can place a special desensitising coating on the area that will help to keep everything under control.

If you suffer from sensitivity why not give us a call on 01252 723 008

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