Many patients—both young and old—deal with dental sensitivity on a regular basis. Chronic sensitivity can make it hard for you to enjoy your favorite foods and drinks, and it may make it difficult for you to effectively clean your smile.
Our O’Fallon dentists are here to help you understand how and why sensitivity develop, as well as what you can do about it! Keep reading to learn more…
If you are experiencing dental sensitivity, it is because a sensitive part of your tooth—like the root or the dentin—is too exposed. This may happen because your dental enamel has thinned, and is thus more porous, or because your gum tissue is receding and leaving your lower tooth exposed.
In order to minimize dental sensitivity immediately, you want to limit your exposure to cold and hot food and beverages. Quick temperature changes will lead to dental discomfort.
There are also specially formulated toothpastes and mouth rinses that are designed to combat dental sensitivity. Many of these have fluoride as a component, because fluoride helps to re-mineralize dental enamel. If your teeth are especially weakened your dentist may perform in-office topical fluoride treatments to help strengthen your enamel.
Sealants and fillings can also be useful for patients with chronic sensitivity. Both of these treatments are quick and effective; our dentist applies resin and cures it, so that it bonds to the tooth and protects vulnerable dental material.
In some cases, dental sensitivity is caused by gum recession due to periodontal disease. When this is the case it is vital that our team treats the underlying oral tissue infection so that your gum tissue can heal and strengthen.
Our O’Fallon dentists are happy to give you more information; you can call our team to schedule a personal consultation, or use the Contact Us page on our website and we’ll get back to you promptly!