You may have heard it from an ad on tv, or had a friend mention it to you, but tooth sensitivity seems to be entering the public consciousness more and more recently. You might have finally become able to put a name to a problem that you’ve been having for a very long time.
If you start feeling a little pain when drinking something hot or cold, you might even wonder whether there’s something wrong and whether that constitutes a dental emergency. If you’re curious, here’s what you ought to do if you’re dealing with tooth sensitivity.
Is Tooth Sensitivity a Dental Emergency?
Tooth sensitivity isn’t a condition in itself, but a symptom of a myriad of other problems that you could potentially be having. If you find your teeth sting a little bit when you eat something, that could be for a variety of different reasons. Whether what you’re experiencing is a dental emergency or not depends on the severity of your discomfort and where it’s coming from.
What Can Cause Tooth Sensitivity?
One of the most common causes of tooth sensitivity is enamel erosion, exposing the layer of the tooth underneath the surface. This layer is called dentin, and it’s filled with nerve endings that make it more sensitive than the rest of the mouth to extreme temperatures. This is actually fairly common, and so long as the discomfort isn’t severe, it shouldn’t necessarily constitute a dental emergency.
However, sensitivity can also result from more significant oral health problems. Severe tooth decay or cracked teeth can also make you sensitive to extreme temperatures, so if you think that one of those could be the core cause of your problems, you should try and see your dentist for help as quickly as possible.
What Can Be Done About Tooth Sensitivity?
If your sensitivity comes from an opening in your tooth, your dentist will probably give you a filling that can offer you relief fairly quickly. Enamel erosion, however, is a little trickier to deal with. Your dentist will likely provide you with fluoride treatment and recommend you a toothpaste designed for sensitive teeth to help you fortify your enamel.
About Our Practice
At Bruner Dental, we’re proud to have built a practice that can make our patients feel at home. We combine top-notch amenities and the latest in dental technology to offer our patients great oral healthcare in a comfortable environment. If you aren’t normally a fan of the dentist, we’d be happy to show you how good this kind of care can be.
If you have any questions about tooth sensitivity, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (765) 613-3128.
