5 ways to decrease tooth sensitivity

Have you ever felt a chill or even pain as you tried to brush your teeth? Do you feel this chill when you take fruits or try to chew something? Then you might have what medical experts call dental hypersensitivity. This simply means that your teeth are too sensitive. This pain might usually be noticed when eating hot or cold substances, as well as sweet and sour tasting drinks or fruits. Don’t be troubled as you are not alone. Studies have indicated that some 8 to 57% of persons suffer from this problem globally. However, this disease can be cured as there are a number of methods that have proven effective in reducing teeth sensitivity. But before we examine them, we shall briefly look at some of the identified causes of teeth sensitivity.

Causes

Tooth sensitivity results when the dentine of the tooth has been exposed and is no longer protected. The dentine of the tooth can be exposed at the crown of the tooth as well as the root. But this explanation only leads to the question of what causes the dentine to be exposed. Well this could result from brushing the teeth with so much force or using a brush with hard bristles. Dentine exposure could also be the result of brushing with improper techniques that may lead to what experts call gum recession (wearing away of the gum to expose the tooth). Bacterial gum infections and high intake of acidic foods can also cause dentine exposure. Now that we have known the causes, let us take a look at five major ways to reduce tooth sensitivity or even prevent it.

Dental care

When you notice those symptoms mentioned earlier, the best thing to do is to consult a dentist. In doing this, you will get desensitizing tooth paste or if need be, the dentist might apply topical fluoride to the exposed parts. Fillers can also be used to reduce sensitivity. One thing to note is that using desensitizing tooth pastes takes some time and needs to be applied severally.

Oral hygiene

Oral hygiene includes using soft tooth brushes and using the appropriate brushing techniques to brush the teeth. It also entails using a good tooth paste that contains fluoride. After brushing, you should also use a fluoride rinse, especially after taking sugary foods. Routine dental checkups would also help.

Sealants

Sealants are plastic materials that are used to cover the teeth so that you don’t feel irritated when you eat very hot or cold foods. This procedure must however be carried out by a dentist and is a temporal way to reduce tooth sensitivity.

Good eating habit

If you really want to prevent or manage tooth sensitivity, then you must avoid taking too much of acidic and sugary foods. This might involve minimizing your wine and chocolate consumption. That would hurt. I know. But if you must take them, ensure to brush immediately afterwards.

Stop tooth grinding

Lastly if you regularly grind your teeth—for whatever reason—stop it. Some people however, do this during sleep; for such people, a mouth guard at night would surely help.