Do you suffer from tooth sensitivity?
Too hot? How about too cold? How about sweets?
The sharp tooth sensitivity can come on very suddenly and shoot deep into the nerve endings of your teeth. The reason behind that sharp shooting sensitivity may be due to the exposure of dentin.
So what is dentin?
Dentin is a layer of your tooth underneath the hard white outer layer of enamel. The dentin is the part of the tooth that covers the nerve. The dentin contains a number of porous tubules that lead to the nerve. Therefore, if dentin is exposed so are the tiny dentinal tubules that lead to the nerves of your teeth causing sensitivity.
Many factors can lead to sensitive teeth.
- Brushing incorrectly or too aggressively may cause your gums to recede which will result in the exposure of dentin.
- Periodontal disease can cause the gum tissues to separate from the teeth and form spaces called pockets. Those pockets become a home for bacteria, if left untreated the disease can progress until the bone and tissues are destroyed. Therefore leaving root surfaces of teeth exposed which again, is the dentin that is exposed.
- Grinding your teeth can also cause sensitivity. The grinding or crunching action can wear down the enamel and expose the underlying dentin.
- Acid erosion can occur from drinking or eating acidic foods or from such conditions as acid reflux. The acid can corrode the enamel to a point where the dentin is then exposed, therefore causing sensitivity.
- Tooth decay slowly eats away at enamel in a tooth and once that happens that dentin is then exposed therefore exposing the dentinal tubules that lead to the nerve of the tooth. Teeth with decay are particularly sensitive to sweet foods and drinks.
As you can see there are many causes for tooth sensitivity.
If you have issues with sensitive teeth please book an appointment here
at our downtown Calgary dental office with one of our dentist for a free assessment.