Anchor Family Dentistry

Tooth Sensitivity

Sensitive teeth can affect your day to day  lifestyle. Just being able to enjoy your favorite desert to simply brushing your teeth can become extremely painful. While sensitive teeth are usually as a result of a cavity, there are many other reasons why teeth can become sensitive.

Usually a sensitive tooth is the body's signal to alert you that something is wrong with the tooth. Sometimes the reasons for a tooth being sensitive is minor and other times it might require a trip to the dentist.

Common things that could cause sensitivity include

Sore Gums.

1. Food impaction: This could be a result of food impaction, or food stuck between teeth, which could cause the gums to get irritated. Simply flossing and getting rid of food debris could improve symptoms
2. Gum inflammation: Excessive plaque could lead to red irritated gums, which bleed easily. Improving oral hygiene habits could improve symptoms
3. Periodontal disease: Continuous proliferation of plaque bacterial and tarter left on teeth could lead to further breakdown of gum tissue and surrounding bone  leading to loose teeth and progressive gum infections. Periodontal disease requires continuing care by a dentist.

Painful teeth

1. Recession or root exposure. it is common to have root sensitivy due to lack of enamel on the root surfaces. Enamel serves as a natural insulator
2. Discoloured tooth: Could be that tooth has a cavity, or has an infected pulp
3. Fractured tooth: This usually is noted by pain on chewing. 
4. High dental filling or restoration. It is important to have these restorations adjusted to alleviate symptoms
5. Worn down teeth, exposing dentin which is more porous than enamel.: This could be due to mechanical means, i.e brushing too hard and grinding of teeth or chemical means which include excessive consumption of acidic food or regurgitation.

It is important to visit the  dentist as early as possible to address issues with tooth sensitivity.