It’s no secret that coping with sensitive teeth can make day-to-day life difficult. The constant pain from sensitive teeth can become difficult to ignore when it’s impacting activities such as eating, drinking, and brushing.

Sensitivity is caused by a lack of enamel on your teeth. Enamel naturally acts as a protective barrier for the nerves in your teeth. When these nerves are left exposed, it can cause discomfort and a feeling of extreme sensitivity.

You don’t have to feel alone or embarrassed about this – it’s a very common problem. Whether you have a slight twinge or prolonged discomfort, you don’t have to suffer anymore!

Here are Esthetique Dental’s best tips to help prevent, and minimise, tooth sensitivity…

Healthy Diet

Food can play a huge part in causing pain and sensitivity or making an existing issue much harder to ignore.

You should be aware of the common culprits and consume these in moderation:

• Fizzy drinks: the combination of high sugar content and acid can irritate the nerves in the teeth, causing a sensitive feeling.
• Ice cream: if you already have damage to your insulating enamel, the temperature of this delicious treat can be too cold – irritating the nerves further.

Reducing consumption of foods and drinks like ice cream and fizzy drinks when your teeth are feeling sensitive, can be a step in the right direction to helping to reduce discomfort.

Desensitising Toothpaste

Using desensitizing toothpaste is another way to help with your tooth sensitivity. This kind of toothpaste contains ingredients that block the small channels which run inside our teeth to the nerve. These include potassium, fluorides, and strontium salts. 

They work by decreasing the fluid flow through dentine tubules by blocking them. This means that the sensory nerves in your teeth aren’t stimulated by cold sensations and therefore you feel less pain and sensitivity.

Additionally, these kinds of toothpaste will contain Fluorides, which work to strengthen tooth enamel. These fluorides can help to restore the minerals in the enamel which may have been lost due to wear of teeth and dental decay.

Desensitising toothpastes are available at chemists and supermarkets, you do have to commit to using them every day. This means the ‘barrier’ they form is continually replenished.

Good Oral Hygiene

Maintaining a personal oral hygiene routine is the key to unlocking peak oral health.

• Brushing twice a day is the best way to start – paying careful attention to the back teeth as they are more susceptible to plaque build-up. Additional steps like cleaning between teeth with interdental brushes and using fluoride toothpaste are also highly recommended.
• Whilst brushing is a priority, it is recommended to not brush immediately after consuming food. Certain food and drinks, as mentioned earlier, can weaken and soften the enamel. Brushing too soon after consumption can have a detrimental impact on the tooth surface.

If you are unsure what are the best tools for you, feel free to contact us today so we can guide you in the right direction.

Regularly Visit the Dentist

Most dental problems don’t have any symptoms until they reach a more advanced stage. Equally, they can be difficult to be seen by the untrained eye. That’s why it’s important for you to visit your dentist every six months. That way, Esthetique Dental can catch problems before you begin feeling them!

Maintaining oral care at home and keeping an eye on your diet will help. But, it is important to remember this…if your teeth are sensitive, your first call should be to the dentist!

You can book an appointment with our friendly team today. A 45-minute dental examination with one of the team will provide you with a complete understanding of your dental health and allow Esthetique Dental to offer you the best possible service. Our treatments range from routine scaling and polishing to plaque removal, all of which will help tooth sensitivity. 

Whatever your needs, Esthetique Dental can devise a personalised treatment plan for you. Click here to find out more.