What Causes Sensitive Teeth

One of the most common complaints that many patients present to a dentist is sensitive teeth. This is a broad term used to describe heightened sensation in the tooth. This needn't necessarily mean that the person has dental pain. He may be able to eat properly, but only at times, has a nagging sensation in the teeth. There can be many different sensitive teeth causes which range from those related to the tooth to those that are seen due to gum recession. These are explained in detail below.

Vigorous Brushing
One of the most common causes of sensitive teeth is very vigorous and overenthusiastic brushing. Most people do not know how to brush their teeth. Ideally, the upper teeth should be cleaned from top to bottom and the lower teeth from bottom to top. Instead, we all end up brushing our teeth horizontally, while applying a lot of force. This leads to abrasion of the outer surface of enamel. Thus, there is unnecessary loss of tooth structure and the result is not whitening but yellowing of teeth due to exposure of dentin. When the enamel of tooth wears thin, there is slight exposure of dentin, which is the yellow and sensitive part of the tooth. This usually makes a tooth sensitive to cold. Thus, a simple and logical sensitive teeth home remedy would be to brush in the right manner so as to prevent abrasion of teeth.

Tooth Decay
One of the common causes of sensitive teeth in children is tooth decay. When a person has tooth decay which is nearing the pulp, then the person starts complaining of sensitivity. This is mostly felt on intake of hot or cold food, and at times, when the person eats sweets as well. It is best to visit your dentist for treatment when you have a heat sensitive tooth, lest you end up needing to undergo a root canal treatment or worse still, tooth extraction.

Gum Recession
Sensitive teeth in elderly people, is mostly seen due to receding gums. The normal gum line is at the point where the crown of the tooth ends and the root of the tooth starts. However, with age, brushing and certain bad habits like smoking or chewing tobacco, the gum line slowly begins to recede and the point of attachment of the gum line is seen on the surface of the root. This receding gum line leads to exposure of the root surface, which is covered by cementum, which is sensitive to heat and cold. Thus, the tooth also becomes sensitive to heat and cold due to the sensitive gums that have been exposed.

Dental Filling
Some people may wonder as to what cause sensitive teeth after filling. Well, at times, when a tooth decay is very close to the pulp, then to avoid an invasive option like root canal, your dentist may advise you to go in for something known as deep caries management. In this option, a tooth filling is done and a protective layer of calcium compounds is placed at the base of the dentin, so as to encourage its growth and so that, the pulp gets covered by it. Thus, while the dentin tries to seal itself, the person may feel slight amount of sensitivity in his teeth. This should go away after a while, once the dentin bridge is formed. However, if the sensitivity persists and even transgresses into full blown dental pain, then that means there has been irreversible damage rendered to the dentin and the pulp cannot be covered, so the sensitive teeth treatment in this case will be root canal treatment.

This was all about causes of sensitive teeth and ways to deal with this condition. There are many different kinds of toothpaste for sensitive teeth which can help in preventing the sensation felt on intake of hot or cold food. However, at times, sensitive teeth may imply that you have a cavity present which is nearing the pulp. So, rather than waiting for this problem to end up in a full blown case of pulpitis, it is best that you visit the dentist and get your condition diagnosed and treated at the earliest.