Sensitive Teeth Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Understanding
Sensitive teeth are a condition that is usually characterized by a brief feeling of pain. Even though it’s short, usually the feeling of pain that appears is very sharp and stabbing. This is a direct response from the exposed dentin layers of the teeth.
Pain generally occurs for various reasons. Some of these occur as a result of changes in temperature when drinking cold drinks, heat when breathing in, friction when brushing your teeth, and chemical processes when drinking soda or acidic drinks.
Symptom
Some of the following signs and symptoms indicate a person has sensitive teeth, such as:
- Pain when chewing hot and cold food or drinks.
This happens because the gums that cover the dentin of the teeth are exposed, so the teeth become sensitive to hot and cold stimuli.
If this happens, what can be anticipated is to use a straw when drinking cold drinks or wait until the heat of the food or drink dissipates before consuming it.
- Pain when breathing through the mouth.
The gust of air that occurs when we breathe through the mouth causes sensitivity to the condition of the teeth that have decreased gums. This is what makes teeth ache.
Patients who experience this symptom do not necessarily experience the same pain if the teeth are exposed to cold or hot stimuli. Therefore, you must be wary of these little things. It could be trivial things like this indicating you have sensitive teeth.
- Pain when brushing teeth.
Brushing your teeth too hard can damage the gum attachment to your teeth. This will result in part of the tooth dentin being exposed due to decreased gums.
If the toothbrush process is not corrected, the exposed dentine will experience tooth abrasion, which is the erosion of the dentin layer which makes the teeth sensitive. In general, what is eroded is the canines and premolars on the left side, for toothbrush holders in the right hand.
Coarse toothbrush bristles and coarse-grained toothpaste indirectly affect the dentin of the teeth that experience deeper abrasion.
Reason
The most common cause of sensitive teeth begins with a decrease in the position of the gums due to improper habits when brushing your teeth. The activity of brushing your teeth with a pressure that is too hard can make the attachment between the gums that are attached to the teeth come off. Because of this, the gums will decrease which will result in some of the roots of the teeth being exposed.
This condition most often occurs on the buccal or outer side of the teeth (facing the inner surface of the lips and cheeks). This generally occurs in people who have a high awareness of dental health. This condition is quite disturbing when they smile because in this condition the teeth look long. Aesthetically, this looks unsightly.
In addition, factors that can cause receding gums are frequency of brushing teeth (too often), horizontal brushing techniques, stiffness of toothbrush bristles, brushing teeth that are too long, and frequency of changing toothbrushes.
The habit of brushing your teeth too hard coupled with excessive toothbrush frequency and the wrong method can also cause even more serious damage, namely tooth abfraction.
Tooth Abfraction is a condition of damage when the tooth loses its hard tissue structure in the cervical region of the tooth (ie the exposed tooth root). The problem is characterized by damage in the form of depression above the gums, usually a more yellowish color.
According to research conducted in Switzerland and published in the International Journal of Biomedical Science, as many as 84.6 percent of people who experience damage to the cervical region of the teeth due to abstraction will experience sensitive teeth.
People who wear braces can also be at risk of experiencing sensitive teeth. During the inspection, cleaning of plaque around the stirrup will usually be carried out, replacement of rubber and wires.
Cleaning the plaque around the stirrup must be done because with the stirrup, cleaning your teeth with a toothbrush will not be optimal. Insufficient cleaning of plaque can cause the enamel to become damaged and thin. As a result, tooth enamel is brittle, causing dental caries and teeth can become sensitive.
Conversely, brushing your teeth with excessive pressure or too hard when the gums have decreased can make the tooth minerals dissolve. Thus making the gums become sensitive. According to the British Dental Journal, the main cause of sensitive teeth is erosion. The process of erosion occurs due to the dissolving of tooth minerals due to acids not due to bacteria.
Some types of food and drink can actually trigger teeth to become sensitive. Certain foods and drinks can cause erosion of the teeth, for example:
- Acidic foods, such as pickles
The vinegar content in pickles can cause tooth erosion.
- Fizzy drinks, such as lemon soda
Lemon which is acidic plus soda and sugar can directly irritate the tooth nerve, on the exposed dentine part of the tooth.
- Sweet and cold foods, such as ice cream
Besides the cold, ice cream also contains high levels of sugar. This can make teeth more sensitive. The reason is, in those who have sensitive teeth, the enamel layer which functions as a protector that limits the nerves has been damaged. The cold temperature of the ice cream will really disturb this condition.
Diagnosis
One way to detect sensitive teeth is to feel aching or sore when you brush your teeth, even with gentle pressure. In addition, symptoms can also be detected when you go to the dentist for an examination. If you feel excessive aches or pains when cleaning your tartar, then you most likely have sensitive teeth.
Another series of tests that can be done to ensure the condition of sensitive teeth is to do an air spray test. This air spray test is done when the dentist wants to dry the tooth surface to start a treatment. If you feel a sharp pain when you spray your teeth with air, then you can say your teeth are sensitive.
Treatment
Because sensitive teeth can appear due to various factors, handling must also be from various directions so that the results are maximized. Starting from replacing toothpaste specifically for sensitive teeth. This kind of toothpaste can reduce the feeling of pain in the exposed dentin of the teeth when exposed to toothbrush friction. Toothpaste specifically for sensitive teeth contains ingredients that can clog the pores of the teeth to prevent the teeth from feeling achy.
In addition, to deal with sensitive teeth, you should change your brushing technique to the Bass method. Also, make sure to use a soft-bristled toothbrush.
If home treatment cannot overcome toothache, then do other treatments to the dentist. The doctor can make fillings on the teeth that are experiencing abrasion and apply fluoride to all teeth, especially teeth that ache.
Now with advances in technology, the treatment of sensitive teeth can also be done with a diode laser beam. When combined with fluoride application, it is proven that this treatment is optimal for treating pain due to sensitive teeth.
Prevention
There are several things that can be done to prevent sensitive teeth, namely:
- Evaluate how you brush your teeth. Do it with the right technique, it doesn’t need to be too strong, it doesn’t need to be too long. Make sure to use gentle circular motions to clean your teeth.
- Pay attention when drinking or eating hot or cold food. Cold drinks (especially), can trigger a sharp aching sensation in the teeth.
Most toothaches are caused by the exposure of the root surfaces of the teeth due to decreased gums. In addition, the cause is the loss of the cementum layer on the root surface of the teeth and worn teeth due to excessive wear of the teeth.
Watch out for cold or hot food that you will consume. Use a straw, let the heat or cold cool down a little, or always brush your teeth with toothpaste specifically for sensitive teeth before eating.
- If when you eat sweet and sticky foods – such as dodol, dates, raisins, sticky chocolate candy and the like, you feel ache, you may have sensitive teeth. It is the difference in fluid consistency inside and outside the dentin pores that causes the osmotic changes that make teeth sensitive. If possible, just limit this type of food.
- Also limit the types of food and drinks that are sour and fizzy, such as pickles, pempek sauce, soft drinks, and the like.