Sensitive teeth can be a pain to live with- triggered by hot or cold foods and drinks, or even sour or sweet tastes, those with sensitive teeth can frequently experience sharp, sudden pains deep in the nerve endings of their teeth.

There are many ways to manage this pain, however, and improve your teeth’s health. There are also many reasons people have sensitive teeth. Some may inherit them genetically, having less tough enamel like their parents, but many bad habits lead to sensitive teeth as well, caused by exposing your underlying layer of teeth, the dentin, as a result of receding gum tissue:

• Brushing too hard
• Gum Disease
• Teeth Grinding
• Teeth Whitening
• Plaque Buildup
• Acidic Foods

Whatever the reason for your sensitive teeth, special steps need to be taken to lessen your pain and improve the health of your teeth. Here’s some of our best tips for caring for you sensitive teeth:

• Use a soft toothbrush and gentle toothpaste. A softer brush will result in less abrasion to your tooth and less irritation to gums. There’s many brands of toothpaste available specialized for sensitive teeth. Don’t use a tartar control toothpaste- look for fluoride ones.
• A daily fluoridated mouth rinse can also reduced sensitivity. Fluoride is a main ingredient of many dental pastes because it repairs light damage to teeth by restoring enamel. Rinse your mouth with a fluoridated wash once daily.
• Be sure to brush your teeth or at least rinse your mouth after eating acidic or sugary food and drinks. These acids tend to erode your already low enamel, so rinsing and brushing will eliminate the time the sugar or acid gets to sit on your teeth, causing damage.
• See your dentist. Your dentist can give you special medicine to decrease teeth sensitivity and new procedures are developed every year to deal with this problem. Be sure to always voice tooth pain and concerns with your dentist at every appointment.

If you’ve got sensitive teeth and need to speak with someone about it, Greenspoint Dental is here to help protect your smile. Contact us today to make an appointment.