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What Does Tooth Sensitivity Mean?

Does drinking hot coffee/tea or eating ice-cream cause you extreme pain? If you feel a tingling sensation in your teeth, then you may have teeth sensitivity. One in five adults suffers from sensitive teeth. Tooth sensitivity is the highest between people aged between 25 to 35 years. It can also impact daily activities such as eating, drinking, brushing and flossing your teeth.

What Causes Tooth Sensitivity?

There are many causes of tooth sensitivity which include tooth decay, damaged teeth, broken tooth, etc. You must identify the cause of tooth sensitivity and visit your dentist for advice. Sensitive toothpaste can help protect against sensitivity. You will notice sensitive teeth when hot or cold sensations reach the nerves inside the teeth and cause pain. Some of the causes are:

Teeth Whitening

No doubt, whiter teeth can boost your confidence and make you look even better, but an excess of everything is bad! If you have sensitivity, make sure you don’t use teeth whitening products that often. Change your toothpaste which is meant for teeth whitening to the one which is for sensitivity.

Irregular Flossing

Do you floss every day? Flossing is equally important as brushing your teeth! It can prevent plaque from building up, gum diseases, and even tooth sensitivity. Flossing, when combined with sensitive toothpaste can do wonders for your teeth!

Tooth Decay

Sensitive teeth can also lead to cavities! A cavity is another way by which nerves of your tooth get exposed. One of the basic things you need to change to prevent tooth decay is your toothpaste which contains fluoride can help protect sensitive teeth from cavities.

Damaged Tooth Enamel

Tooth Enamel can wear away with age, but it can also wear away due to other factors such as high exposure to acidic foods. Damaged enamel can drill down to the inner layers of your teeth and cause them to become more sensitive to heat, cold and pressure.

Acidic Foods

Drinking acidic beverages like tea or coffee on a regular basis can erode the enamel increasing the chances of sensitivity. Regular consumption of foods with high acid content such as citrus fruits, pickles, tomatoes, etc) can also increase the likelihood of tooth sensitivity.

Grinding your Teeth

Grinding your teeth can cause damage to the outer layer of your teeth and expose the inner layers called dentin making it susceptible to decay and tooth sensitivity.

Dental Work

Dental procedures such as teeth cleaning, root canal treatment, crown and bridge placement, and tooth restoration can cause temporary sensitivity that can last for four to five weeks. So, you need to take extra care of your gums and teeth around this time.