Sensitive Teeth

For millions of people sensitive teeth can make life miserable. The pain and discomfort make even hot or cold foods impossible to enjoy. All is not lost. In many cases sensitive teeth can be successfully treated bringing long sought after relief.
*WHAT CAUSES SENSITIVE TEETH: Usually tooth sensitivity presents as temporary tooth discomfort or pain after eating or drinking cold things and aslo sometimes while breathing the cold air. If the pain is very high in intensity and prolonged see your dentist because this may be sign of an unhealthy tooth nerve.
Most commonly the problem begins when the gum recede. Like a protective blanket, the gums cover the roots of the teeth. As gums recede the underlying tooth roots are exposed. Gums commonly recede for one of two reasons
*Improper heavy handed brushing of the teeth .
*Poor oral hygiene can lead to plaque build up around the teeth and gums and after a long time it gets turned into tarter which eventually recede the gums exposing the root surfaces.
*PREVENTING SENSITIVE TEETH : The key to preventing tooth sensitvity is to keep the gums from receding. Reducing the pressure when we use to brush the teeth helps tremendously. The problem with this is that our tooth brushing is an unconsiously ingrained habit reinforced after decades of brushing and therefore nearly impossible to change. We advise people to use and advanced electric toothbrush (plaque remover) like the Braun 3D excel or sonicare. These toothbrushes feature pressure sensors that stop the brush when you apply too much pressure. Another option is the alert toothbrush which activates a warning light when you brush too hard. Preventing gingivitis and periodontal disaese with proper oral hygiene is also crucial in preventing gum recession, remember, it takes 2 to 3 minutes to properly brush all your tooth surfaces. Most people spend less than 45 seconds leaving areas untouched where plaque and tarter can bulid up. Flossing is crucial in order to reach the 35 % of the tooth surfaces where brushing cannot reach.
*TREATING SENSITIVE TEETH: What can you do once you already expirence sensitive teeth? A major advance in treatment has been the introduction of sensetivity toothpastes containing STRONTIUM CHLORIDE . These products, like sensodyne and a host of others, coax the minerals in your saliva to crystalize and cover the pores on your exposed roots so that cold stimulli can not reach the tooth nerve. After a few weeks of use the sensitivity usually goes away. Unfortunaetly, the same heavy handed brushing which caused the sensitvity in the first place can brush away the pore covers created by the toothpaste. This will cause sensitivity to return. For this reason we suggest that people use the alert toothbrush while using sensitvity toothpastes. Additionally highly acidic foods(citrus, soda pop, tea) can increase sensitvity and work against the sensitvity toothpaste.Sensitivity toothpastes containing POTASSIUM NITRATE can also help reduce tooth sensitvity. These toothpastes desensitize the tooth nerve directly. Treating teeth with fluoride mouthwashes also can help reduce tooth sensitivity. If you cannot get relief by brushing gently and using sensitvity toothpaste your dentist has several options for relief. Your dentist can use oxalate compounds that when rubbed on the root will reduce if not eliminate the sensitvity. Many dentists prescribe high fluoride content mouthwashes which can help reduce tooth sensitivity. Dentists may also apply ' bonding agents' to close the pores of the tooth root.