Sensitive Teeth Treatment

Sensitive teeth are a huge problem that many patients complain of. One of the most common complaints that can confound a dentist, sensitive teeth are relatively difficult to treat, compared to other dental problems like tooth decay or even gum diseases. There are many sensitive teeth causes, and in the end, the treatment for sensitive teeth will depend on the cause. With a little bit of help and by taking a detailed case history, one can come up with a range of options when it comes to sensitive teeth treatment. Given below are a few easy tips for dealing with sensitive teeth.

Treatment for Sensitive Teeth

Toothpaste for Sensitive Teeth
There are certain toothpastes that are available which help greatly when it comes to sensitive teeth treatment. These toothpastes have ingredients which help numb the external surface of the teeth temporarily. Ingredients such as potassium nitrate help to prevent the tooth from sensing pain, which thus, giving relief from tooth sensitivity. Furthermore, toothpaste for sensitive teeth also contain strontium chloride and clove oil among other ingredients. Strontium chloride has a brilliant mechanism of not only preventing sensitivity in teeth, but it also helps build tooth structure. Strontium chloride makes the minerals of the saliva to crystallize and cover the pores in the exposed roots of teeth, so that cold stimuli do not reach the tooth nerve. Fluoridated toothpastes also help to build up the tooth structure, thus, decreasing the susceptibility of teeth to sense pain.

Diet
It is best to watch one's diet when a person has sensitive teeth. Prevention in the form of eating non-acidic foods and drinks, like avoiding carbonated drinks, lemon, etc., helps to prevent the possibility of aggravating sensitive teeth symptoms. Furthermore, avoiding excess of hot and cold food, like ice creams, tea and coffee, also helps preventing bouts of teeth sensitivity.

Dental Treatments
Sometimes, people complain of sensitive teeth after filling. This is normally seen in cases where the tooth decay was very extensive and as a last ditch effort before going in for root canal treatment, the dentist has instead done a filling. However, if the caries reaches near the pulp, then it is possible that the person gets sensitivity on eating hot and cold food. Sometimes, there may even be sensitivity on biting teeth. In such cases, the filling should be removed and root canal treatment should be done.

However, if there is sensitivity due to thinning of the tooth structure, then the sensitive teeth treatment will entail laminates or veneers or even complete tooth capping, either in the form of individual tooth capping or in the form of bridges. When there is thinning of tooth structure, it is indicative of the enamel wearing off, due to which the dentin gets exposed. This leads to sensitivity. In such cases, where the tooth structure has thinned down and the teeth appear yellow, teeth bleaching cannot be done, this will not only increase the sensitivity, but the yellow tinge of teeth will not go away.

Sometimes, the tooth sensitivity may be due to receding gums, due to which the root of the tooth gets exposed, which leads to sensitivity. In such cases, the treatment will entail getting proper cleaning of teeth done, so as to encourage the receding gum line to come back into position, or it may also involve periodontal surgeries, like flap surgeries.

In the end, sensitive teeth treatment depends greatly on the cause of sensitivity. The dentist, after a detailed case history, will decide on what treatment option will suit you best, and will accordingly implement it.