Don’t Let Tooth Sensitivity Affect Your Quality of Life!

Don’t Let Tooth Sensitivity Affect Your Quality of Life!

Dental Education Library

Over half of the population is living with undiagnosed dentinal hypersensitivity or tooth sensitivity.  Do you know if you are at risk or if you may have this common condition?

Dentinal hypersensitivity is a short, sharp pain in one or more teeth that results from the exposure of dentin (second layer of tooth structure).

These various factors put you at risk:

• xerostomia (dry mouth)
• improper brushing (abrasion) and tooth wear lesions (attrition)
• having uncontrolled gum (periodontal) disease
• home tooth whitening
• tooth erosion resulting from diet or acid reflux
• abfraction which results from teeth grinding (bruxism)

This common condition can be treated.  It is not normal to feel any form of tooth sensitivity especially while eating foods you enjoy or even just breathing in the cold Canadian air.

If you experience dentin hypersensitivity, there are ways for you to help alleviate the symptoms.  You can do this by

• ensuring that your diet is not high in acid
• if you suspect that you may have acid reflux, visit your medical professional for an assessment
• modify your brushing techniques by applying less pressure on brushing and using a soft bristled toothbrush
• have a proper assessment done by your dental professional to make the appropriate recommendations

There are many products that can be applied by your dental professional to alleviate the discomfort but to successfully manage ongoing discomfort your dental professional will work with you to determine the cause of your tooth sensitivity, what can be done in office to alleviate discomfort and what recommendations can be made for you to continue management at home.

Don’t Let Tooth Sensitivity be a Pain!