Severe pain and discomfort caused by tooth sensitivity can make a person think they have an emergency dental problem that requires complex and challenging operations. Although this may indeed be the case, tooth sensitivity is not necessarily an emergency case. Tooth sensitivity can be one of the symptoms of mild dental problems that can be easily prevented. Still, if left untreated, it will worsen and lead to emergency dental problems. Click here to get some more useful information on emergency dental care and how to deal with them.
Tooth sensitivity and discomfort occur when the nerves of the tooth are stimulated. When the gums decay or the enamel wears out, it causes severe pain and tenderness. Symptoms of tooth sensitivity peak when the tooth is exposed to temperature changes.
Symptoms of dental sensitivity
The most common dental sensitivity symptoms are pain and discomfort when teeth are exposed to extreme cold or heat (such as hot foods or drinks or ice). Severe pain can appear in your sensitive teeth while breathing too. You will also feel severe pain even when you accidentally touch a sensitive tooth, brush, or chew sugary foods. Although teeth sensitivity seems a common problem, it may need emergency dental care.
What causes dental sensitivities?
Tooth sensitivity may be caused by any of the following factors or conditions:
-Tooth decay
When your tooth decays, and its enamel is damaged, the tooth pulp, a susceptible and vulnerable tissue, becomes visible. So, you will feel pain and discomfort with every small change in the mouth temperature. You should seek the treatment at the earliest opportunity to prevent an emergency dental problem.
-Broken or cracked teeth
A fracture on the enamel’s surface causes the tooth or the pulp’s inner part to be exposed to temperature changes and causes severe pain and discomfort at the damaged teeth site.
-Brush firmly and roughly
Brushing hard can cause wear and tear on the enamel over time. When tooth enamel wears away, its underlying layer (dentin) appears, and the damaged tooth becomes sensitive and painful.
-Bruxism
Constant and intense grinding of teeth on each other causes erosion of tooth enamel, and as a result, dentin becomes visible and causes tenderness and pain.
-Gum disease
Swelling of the gums leads to damage and loss of tissues that support the tooth, and as a result, the root surface of the tooth is directly exposed, causing pain and discomfort through tooth sensitivity.
If the gingival tissue that covers the tooth’s root surface is removed, it leads to dental sensitivity. A dentist can treat this problem through surgery.
Tooth sensitivity treatments
Use a kind of toothpaste specifically for sensitive teeth, as it can help relieve the pain and discomfort caused by tooth sensitivity.
-Fluoride
The use of fluoride-containing dental products such as toothpaste or mouthwashes can be beneficial in reducing the pain. The dentist can also reduce pain and discomfort by rubbing fluoride gel on sensitive and damaged teeth.
-Tooth decay treatment
To treat and repair damaged and decayed teeth that have caused dental sensitivity, you need an emergency dental appointment with your dentist, since they may cause complicated issues.