Tooth sensitivity may not sound like a big deal but once you experience the condition, you’ll realize just how big its impact is on your quality of life.
This is why a lot of people are willing to bend over backward just to find effective sensitive teeth remedies and cures.
With this oral health issue gone, it will be easier to enjoy various kinds of foods and drinks.
To effectively figure out how to stop sensitive teeth pain immediately, you need to understand the condition completely.
This guide aims to help you in that regard by answering your question, ‘why are my teeth sensitive?’.
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What Is Tooth Sensitivity?
As 92% of the total adult population in the US have experienced having dental caries at one point in their lives, it’s not surprising that many of us tend to ignore slight discomforts felt inside the mouth.
The idea is, there are just too many things going on in there that some pains might not even be worth seeing a dentist for.
While it’s true that your mouth contains a lot of nerves that can get stimulated in various ways, you shouldn’t ignore any kind of discomfort or pain felt inside your mouth.
This is especially if you think it’s just your teeth that’s becoming sensitive.
Tooth sensitivity is a complex condition with a wide array of causes. This makes it even more important to address it right away.
The very thing that can be causing your pain can worsen and create more complications, so you should address any kind of tooth pain as soon as possible.
Causes Of Tooth Sensitivity
There are different kinds of tooth sensitivity and various causes. It’s hard to specifically say that certain causes result in certain types of tooth sensitivities, though.
However, it won’t be that hard to realize what could be causing your pains if you look closely at the common types of tooth sensitivities.
To help you better understand your condition, we’ve listed down some of the most common occurrences of tooth sensitivity and their possible causes below.
Tooth sensitivity experienced when eating
It’s a no-brainer that lots of people realize that their pearly whites are sensitive when they feel their teeth hurt when eating.
This condition can be divided into subcategories as various things can trigger pain inside the mouth as you eat.
Tooth sensitivity to cold foods
These two are possibly the most easily identified kinds of tooth sensitivity.
If you often experience tooth pains when you drink or consume cold food items, then you have cold-sensitive teeth. Cracks in the tooth’s enamel surface are often to blame if you suffer from this condition.
Sometimes, those who have teeth sensitive to cold also experience sensitivity to cold air. This makes the condition a lot more challenging, especially if you live in an area with cold seasons.
Tooth sensitivity to hot foods
Conversely, some folks can have a tooth sensitive to hot food items. This condition can be more annoying as it can seriously prevent you from enjoying a wide range of foods.
This particular kind of tooth sensitivity should be alarming, however. It can be caused by a nerve ending dying so urgent treatment is necessary.
Teeth sensitivity to sugar
Some people also have teeth sensitive to sugar so every time they eat sweets, their teeth will hurt right away. This condition is often primarily attributed to cavities.
Experts say, however, that enamel loss can also cause sensitivity to this ingredient.
Tooth pain when biting down
A lot of people also feel their teeth hurting when eating. The pressure put on the teeth during the action is often blamed for the pain but experts also attribute it to decay.
In many cases, a loose filling or crack in the tooth can also hurt the nerve endings inside the tooth which can then trigger the pain.
Tooth sensitivity after cleaning
Aside from the pain experienced after using one’s teeth, it’s also possible to experience tooth pains after cleaning your pearly whites. This isn’t a rare occurrence, especially if you haven’t had your teeth cleaned professionally in a while.
In many occasions, deep cleaning the teeth can get in contact with inflamed gums and expose more teeth after removing their plaque and tartar build up. These can bring in change inside your mouth which can make your teeth sensitive after cleaning.
This condition should resolve itself within a week. So if your teeth continue to feel sensitive and sore for much longer than that, it’s best to see your dentist.
Sometimes, tooth sensitivity can also be experienced after an individual brushes their teeth. If they brush too hard, the tooth enamel can break down. This can then expose the dentin and cause gum recession which is also a common cause of tooth sensitivity.
Occasional tooth sensitivity
While all of the conditions above can take place every time you clean your teeth or eat certain food items, some people only experiences them from time to time.
This can be more confusing as many expect tooth sensitivity to be a permanent condition. However, it’s entirely possible to experience tooth pain that comes and goes.
What causes sudden tooth sensitivity? In most occasions, the damage in your teeth that causes the sensitivity isn’t as pronounced yet in these cases. This is why you don’t often experience the pain even if you don’t necessarily avoid the trigger for your tooth sensitivity.
Not having your teeth checked by a dentist right away might just make the tooth sensitivity permanent. So even if you only occasionally experience tooth pains, it’s best to have it checked as soon as you can.
Common Cures For Tooth Sensitivity
What can you do if you experience tooth sensitivity? Here are a few sensitive teeth remedies that might prove to be useful to you:
See your dentist
Professionals can effectively treat the underlying conditions that cause your tooth sensitivity so it’s a must to see them once you spot the symptoms of this condition.
Here are a few of the most popular sensitive teeth remedies they offer:
- Fluoride treatment to strengthen tooth enamel
- Bonding treatment to protect exposed root surfaces
- Surgical gum graft to address gum tissue loss
- Root canal to address pains in the tooth’s dental pulp
In most cases, fluoride treatments already suffice in addressing pains and aches caused by tooth sensitivity. The said ingredient is what helps sensitive teeth to strengthen its enamel coating which will then make it less sensitive to various environmental factors.
Your dentist can also help you improve your oral care routine to make it more effective and prevent your tooth sensitivity from coming back.
Use the best toothpaste for sensitive teeth
After seeing a specialist, the best toothpaste for sensitive teeth can also help improve your condition. These products are specially formulated to address your condition so you can count on them to help you keep the pain at bay.
However, the use of toothpaste for sensitive teeth is not enough if your condition is caused by over brushing your teeth. You will still need to change your brushing techniques and habits to achieve the best results in this case.
Take your oral care routine up a notch
Aside from brushing, you can take more steps to improve your oral health. Some are actually recommended by the American Dental Association (ADA) to be parts of everyone’s regular dental hygiene routine.
These steps include:
Flossing once a day
The ADA emphasizes that flossing once a day is a crucial part of a good dental hygiene routine because it helps thoroughly clean your teeth.
Flossing can clean the tight spaces between your teeth which are sometimes not effectively handled by regular brushing. So with their help, you can ensure that you’ve covered all of the areas that can get cavities.
If you’re not particularly fond using floss threads, you can also opt for water flossers.
These alternatives will also do a great job at removing stuck food and debris between your teeth. Discover all the benefits of water flossers that our Water Flosser Guide team has reviewed for you.
Using a mouthrinse
Mouthrinses are designed for different purposes so they can really come in handy if you have certain goals for your oral health.
You can find a mouthwash for sensitive teeth if you want to get rid of the pains you experience regularly. There are also mouthrinse products made especially for tooth whitening and fighting gingivitis among other things.
Natural Remedies For Sensitive Teeth
If you’ve ever found yourself thinking, ‘all my teeth hurt but I’m not too fond of getting a lot of harsh chemicals into my system,’ there are a few effective ways to address your concern.
There are natural remedies for sensitive teeth that you can try. Some examples of such are the following:
Coconut oil pulling
This traditional Ayurvedic technique has been in use as an oral care remedy for thousands of years. It works by swishing a tablespoon of coconut oil inside your mouth for about 15 to 20 minutes before brushing your teeth as you usually do.
This remedy is proven to work thanks to coconut oil’s antimicrobial and antiseptic properties. It helps kill the bad bacteria inside your mouth so it can keep your teeth, gums and oral cavities in top shape. It also helps prevent dental cavities so it can provide effective sensitive teeth pain relief.
Warm salt water rinse
If you’re not too fond of alcohol-packed mouthrinses, you can easily swap them out with your own fresh concoction of warm salt water rinse. All you really need to do is add half a teaspoon of salt into a glass of water and use it as a mouthwash after you brush your teeth.
This is one of the most low-cost and handy sensitive teeth remedies because it’s so easy to make.
Does it work? Yes.
Salt has its own antibacterial properties that can help clear your mouth of harmful organisms that can be causing your tooth sensitivity. So by rinsing your mouth with it, you can enjoy a cheap and effective way to keep your oral health in top shape.
Yogurt consumption
Love eating yogurt? Then you’ll be glad to know that this is also a highly recommended sensitive teeth home remedy.
Plain yogurt, like cheese, milk and other dairy products, is an effective saliva maker. This makes it the perfect thing to snack on as more saliva can help wash out acid and bad bacteria that can damage your pearly whites.
This is why, even though acidic foods are said to cause tooth sensitivities, plain yogurts get exempted due to its usefulness.
Chew guava leaves
If you have the stomach for strong, fresh flavors, chewing guava leaves is another sensitive teeth remedy that you can try. It’s a fairly easy method since you only have to chew on a few leaves.
What makes it work is the guava leaves’ flavonoid content. Studies show that these nutrients help in the remineralization of the teeth, allowing it to recover from the damage it could have previously received.
This means that guava leaves can strengthen your teeth structure, making them less prone to pains and future damage.
Essential oils for tooth pain
Due to their nutrient-rich components, essential oils can also be used as home remedies for sensitive teeth. Most of them contains antibacterial and antiseptic properties that will prevent bad bacteria from causing damage to your teeth.
In some cases, they can also work as pain relievers, easing you from the discomfort your tooth sensitivity can cause.
A few of the best essential oils for tooth pain and sensitivity are the following:
Be careful, however, in using this home remedy for sensitive teeth. Some essential oils can cause digestive issues, especially when not mixed with a carrier oil.
So if you want to use this method, make sure to follow the recipes properly and use the essential oil strictly as recommended.
Sensitive Teeth Remedies Concluded
At the end of the day, you are not helpless because of your tooth sensitivity, even though it might feel like it.
Our sensitive teeth remedies mentioned above should help you deal with this bothersome issue and help you get your dental health in better shape in no time.
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