We all may experience a little tooth sensitivity from time to time, but if yours is bad enough to interfere with your day-to-day life, you’ve got severe sensitivity. Fortunately, you don’t have to bear the pain anymore — there are some things you can do to alleviate the discomfort. Keep reading to learn why it happens and what you can do about tooth sensitivity, from your trusted dentist in Greenfield!
Top 5 causes of tooth sensitivity (and how to stop them)
Does a steaming cup of hot chocolate make you say “ouch” rather than “ahh”? Here’s why that might be happening, and what you can do about it.
#1: Aggressive tooth brushing
Whoa there! Hard brushing doesn’t get you a deeper clean. In fact, it wears down your enamel and can lead to gum recession, which exposes your sensitive tooth roots. Make sure you’re brushing in gentle, circular motions rather than aggressive back-and-forth ones to reduce sensitivity. Switching to a softer-bristled toothbrush may help, too.
#2: You grind your teeth
If you’re grinding your teeth at night without realizing it, tooth sensitivity could be your body’s way of telling you there’s a problem. Tooth grinding, also called bruxism, wears down the enamel and exposes the dentin, making your teeth more sensitive as a result. If grinding is the cause of your sensitive teeth, our team can create a custom-fit mouthguard to protect your teeth at night.
#3: You use whitening products
Your quest for brighter teeth could be causing them to be more sensitive, too. Whitening toothpastes, mouthwashes and treatment kits can all lead to increased tooth pain. If you think a whitening product is at the root of your sensitivity, hold off for a few days and see if the discomfort subsides.
#4: You’ve got gum disease
It’s a condition that affects 75 percent of Americans, and one of the biggest side effects is receding gums, or gums that appear to be pulling away from the teeth. This exposes the tooth’s sensitive root, meaning you’ll feel evidence of the recession sooner or later — and it won’t feel good. If you’ve got gum disease, you’ll be relieved to know that Bagley, Goodwin & Hrinda PC offer excellent gum therapy, too.
#5: Plaque has built up
If you’ve got excessive plaque on your teeth and around the gumline, it can lead to real sensitivity by slowly wearing down your enamel. Control plaque with regular brushing, flossing and six month visits to your dentist at Bagley, Goodwin & Hrinda. When you stay on top of these twice-annual appointments, you get the thorough clean your teeth need to remain healthy, strong and sensitivity-free — so if it’s been more than six months since your last visit, please call us to book an appointment with your dentist in Greenfield today!