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Is a hot coffee or an indulgent ice cream more of a pain than a pleasure? Do your teeth twinge when you brush or floss? You may have tooth sensitivity. Possible causes of tooth sensitivity include dental problems like tooth decay and gum disease or worn and crumbling fillings. Problems can also be caused by worn or thinning tooth enamel, or where your gums have receded and exposed the tooth root.

Strong, healthy teeth are protected by tooth enamel, and just underneath the gum line, your tooth roots are protected by cementum, which is softer than tooth enamel. Dentine is just underneath the tooth enamel and cementum, and which consists of microscopic tubules that are hollow. When tooth enamel or cementum are damaged, hot and cold substances can easily penetrate these tubules in your dentine, reaching the tooth nerve right at the centre.

Treating Tooth Sensitivity

We thoroughly recommend you have a dental checkup here at Smilexcellence just in case the problem is due to untreated dental problems. Also, we can provide professional fluoride applications to strengthen your enamel and to reduce sensitivity. Using desensitising toothpaste can be helpful because it blocks the transmission of sensations to the tooth nerve, but you need to use this toothpaste for several weeks to get the full benefits.