Hi, it’s Dr Michael Ghobrial here from Sure Dental. One of the most common complaints we hear from patients is around tooth sensitivity. Teeth that are sensitive to hot and cold or sometimes sweet.
And we often get the question of, what’s the cause of my sensitivity and, how can I manage that? So I thought I’d record this short video, to give you the three most common reasons for tooth sensitivity and the solutions for those reasons.
- The first common cause of tooth sensitivity is actually gum recession. So gums can recede with time due to either your individual anatomy that makes them susceptible to that. They can recede from toothbrushing trauma, that’s too rigid with a hard bristle toothbrush. They can also recede due to inflammation around the gums and lack of regular hygiene appointments. But for whatever the reason, the gums recede and expose what we call the root surface, which actually has nerve endings in it.
And then teeth can get progressively sensitive. In those scenarios, often our management is actually to firstly deal with the cause of the recession so that we can try to prevent it from getting worse.
And then we try to desensitise the tooth structure, using things like a concentrated desensitising agent that we can apply to the tooth, or whether it’s using a sensitive toothpaste and applying it in a particular manner. And that can be a really effective way of dealing with tooth sensitivity.
But the key with that is to make sure that we’ve got any of the causative factors under control so that the gums are nice and healthy, so we’re seeing a Hygienist regularly and that we’re not traumatising the gums with our toothbrushing as well. - The second cause of sensitivity can actually be tooth decay or a hole in the tooth, as decay or the bacteria eat into the tooth structure. We can get to the areas that are exposed that have nerve endings. This is why you would notice some sensitivity.
It’s best to again, assess and manage these things early. Because if that is identified, whilst it is small, usually it’s as simple as putting a restoration or a filling on the tooth to seal everything up, clean out the bacteria. And again, it’s a matter of identifying the cause of the decay so that we can stabilise and prevent that from happening around that new filling, but also prevent it happening elsewhere in your mouth. - The third cause of sensitivity is sometimes people have a real clenching grinding habit of their teeth when they sleep, and that can cause a generalised bruising of the ligaments of the teeth, and that can make teeth quite sensitive. The best management in those scenarios can be either making a guard or a splint to wear at night.
Sometimes the damage is happening during the day and muscle relaxant in the jaw could be a good solution. Something like Botox, or even sometimes we partner with Physiotherapists that specialises in jaw tension.
If you are experiencing tooth sensitivity, I’d love to encourage you to get it checked out, make sure you get in early. It’s easier to manage that way, and also we don’t want you living with discomfort.
So if you’re experiencing tooth sensitivity and are in the Brisbane area, we would love to look after you. Simply complete the form on our website at www.suredental.com.au, give us a call on 07 3113 9698, or direct message us via sms or social media, and our friendly team will be in touch to help you organise your consultation. See you in the next video.
