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The following article was published in Your Health Magazine. Our mission is to empower people to live healthier.
Peter Merai, DDS, FAGD
Are Your Teeth Sensitive?
Comprehensive Dental Care
. http://chooseoralhealth.com/

Are Your Teeth Sensitive?

Tooth sensitivity is caused by the stimulation of cells within tiny tubes located in the dentin (the layer of tissue found beneath the hard enamel that contains the inner pulp).

When the hard enamel is worn down or gums have receded causing the tiny tube surfaces to be exposed pain can be caused by eating or drinking food and beverages that are hot or cold, touching your teeth, or exposing them to cold air.

Hot and cold temperature changes cause your teeth to expand and contract. Over time, your teeth can develop microscopic cracks that allow these sensations to seep through to the nerves. Exposed areas of the tooth can cause pain and even affect or change your eating, drinking and breathing habits. Taking a spoonful of ice cream, for example, can be a painful experience for people with sensitive teeth.

Some toothpastes contain abrasive ingredients that may be too harsh for people who have sensitive teeth. Ingredients found in some whitening toothpastes that lighten and/or remove certain stains from enamel and sodium pyrophosphate, the key ingredient in tartarcontrol toothpastes may increase tooth sensitivity.

To prevent sensitivity from occurring, use a soft-bristled toothbrush. Avoid using hard-bristled toothbrushes and brushing your teeth too hard, which can wear down the tooth's root surface and expose sensitive spots. The way to find out if you're brushing your teeth too hard is to take a good look at your toothbrush. If the bristles are pointing in multiple directions, you're brushing too hard.

Toothpastes for sensitive teeth usually contain a desensitizing agent that protects the exposed dentin by blocking the tubes in the teeth that are connected to nerves.

In most cases, these products must be used on a regular basis for at least a month before any therapeutic benefits may be noticed.

Dentists have a variety of regimens to manage tooth hypersensitivity, including both in-office treatments and patient-applied products for home use. If you are diagnosed with dentin hypersensitivity, your dentist may apply a desensitizing agent or a protective coating. You may be prescribed a stannous fluoride gel or an over-the-counter desensitizing toothpaste containing fluoride and either potassium nitrate of strontium chloride. These ingredients help block transmission of sensation from the tooth to the nerve.

It also might help to massage the special paste onto your gums with your finger after brushing.

Reproduced with the permission of The Academy of General Dentistry.

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