Do you suffer sensitive teeth when having ice cream or cold drinks? Can even a cold breeze or brushing your teeth with a toothbrush trigger a sensitive feeling that’s excruciatingly uncomfortable? What can you do about sensitive teeth?

Experiencing sensitive teeth is a common problem. It can adversely affect your ability to eat anything too cold and sour and give you a bad discomfort. Research in Australia shows that 44 per cent of Australian households contain someone who suffers with sensitive teeth or gums. Research in Australia also showed that over 60 per cent of Australians who suffer from sensitive teeth were found to be female, and the most common age group to be affected by sensitive teeth were 30 to 49 year olds. So it is more than likely that you or someone you know suffers from sensitive teeth. The unfortunate reality is that some Australian surveys suggest that patients affected by sensitive teeth often don’t talk to their dentist about it.

Before getting to how to manage sensitive teeth, it is important to understand what causes teeth to be sensitive to prevent sensitive from happening again in the future. Once we understand what causes sensitive teeth, we will discuss what we can do about sensitive teeth and how to manage and prevent sensitive teeth.

So the 2 big questions our dentists want to explain in this article are

What causes sensitive teeth?
What can you do to prevent sensitive teeth and manage sensitive teeth?

What causes teeth to be sensitive?

Capstone Dental Exposed Dentine Sensitive Teeth

There are 3 parts to the structure of a tooth - the outer layer is called the tooth enamel, the inner layer is called the dentine and the centre of the tooth is the pulp where the nerve sits. The root of a tooth is entirely made of dentine and the root is covered by bone and gums. At a microscopic level the dentine is quite porous - meaning it has lots of little holes in its structure and some of those little holes can connect the outside world to the middle of the tooth where the nerve is. So when there is an external stimulus in contact with the exposed dentine, it goes through the little holes in the dentine connected to the nerve to give us that sensitive tooth sensation!

What causes dentine exposure on my Sensitive teeth?

Capstone Dental Gum Recession Sensitive Teeth

Dentine exposure can be caused by the following dental problems:

Problem: Worn tooth enamel from using a hard toothbrush or using too much force while brushing the teeth.
Solution: Always use a soft bristled toothbrush and always treat brushing along the gums like you’re massaging them. You’re not scrubbing the BBQ or a pot when you’re brushing the gum line. Be gentle. Our dentists recommend the Systema Toothbrush and you can read his blog article (Ask the Dentist: What toothbrush do dentists recommend? to find out why). For people who find it hard to control the force of their brushing, consider purchasing an electric toothbrush with a pressure sensor that warns you if you’re pressing too hard.
Problem: Tooth erosion due to highly acidic foods and beverages or reflux. If its food related, this may be from foods like lemons, limes, tomatoes, vinegars or carbonated soft drinks. Tooth erosion can also be caused by acid reflux and you may need to see a medical doctor to have it investigated and managed.
Solution: The answer isn’t to cut out acidic foods and beverages completely. You can start by making sure you incorporate drinking water regularly when you have acidic foods and drinks and you may need to cut down on the frequency and amount as well if you’re constantly grazing on them or having them in high quantities
Problem: Tooth decay, or worn down leaky fillings and broken teeth that expose the dentine of your tooth.
Solution: The tooth may require fillings being placed or replaced to stop the dentine exposure
Problem: Gum recession that leaves your root surface exposed. This may be caused by continued plaque/calculus build up which over time erodes your gum/bone down from the tooth. Or it can be caused by brushing tooth hard
Solution: Brush carefully along the gums and floss in between the teeth along the gumline to remove plaque and in turn, minimise calculus (tartar) build up. Always use a soft toothbrush and be gentle on the gums
Problem: Grinding your teeth at night.
Solution: You may need to get a customised occlusal splint (night guard) to protect your teeth. But in serious cases, you may need to see a sleep specialist or ENT (ear nose throat) specialist to investigate into the causes of your grinding
Problem: Post dental treatment sensitivity – common, but temporary, especially with procedures such as crowns, fillings and tooth bleaching.
Solution: Assess how it goes and generally it can go away after 2 weeks. If it is still sensitive after 2 weeks, you may need to return to your dentist and have the filling, teeth, crown assessed.

What can you do to prevent sensitive teeth and manage sensitive teeth?

In terms of management of sensitive teeth, the following may be recommended

Sensodyne Colgate Sensitive Teeth Sensitivity

Sensitive Teeth Filling Dentine Exposure

Desensitising Toothpaste: Ask your dentist for samples of Colgate Pro Relief or Sensodyne. You can buy them directly at the supermarkets or pharmacy. These toothpastes have special properties which aim to cover the exposed dentine tubules to help make it less sensitive for your teeth. Choose toothpaste that’s labelled as being specifically made for sensitive teeth. These toothpastes won’t have any irritating ingredients, and may have desensitising ingredients that help block the discomfort from travelling to the nerve of the tooth. When it comes to mouthwash, choose an alcohol-free mouth rinse, as it will be less irritating to sensitive teeth. It typically takes several applications for these remedies to work. You should see an improvement within a week.
Soft Toothbrushes: Using softer toothbrushes and brushing more gently can also help. Soft toothbrushes will be labelled as such. Dr Ken recommends the Systema Toothbrush and you can read his blog article (Ask the Dentist: What toothbrush do dentists recommend? to find out why).
Specialised Toothpaste: Tooth Mousse is formulated to help to protect teeth and some find patients find it really helpful in managing sensitivity
Fillings: If the sensitivity is because of worn down enamel, we may recommend placing small fillings on the exposed areas to cover the exposed dentine
Surgery: In more severe cases where you are also unhappy with the appearance of receding gums, you may consider gum grafting with a gum specialist (periodontist).

DISCLAIMER: The information contained on this website should NOT be used as a substitute for the medical or dental advice of an appropriately qualified and licensed dentist, doctor or other health care provider. The information provided here is general in nature and should be used for informational purposes only.

If you found this article helpful, please share it with your family and friends. We firmly believe in educating our patients to help them understand how to achieve good oral health. Are you looking for modern and gentle dentist who will look after you and your family? We are your local dentist in Seven Hills. We are your local dentist in Auburn!

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