Sensitive teeth.
Most of us have experienced a brief shooting
pain from teeth that have been exposed to an extra large dollop of ice cream or
a cold drink on a hot day. But some people find that they experience pain from
quite minor changes in temperature, or to sweet or acid things.
Every healthy tooth has a nerve at it centre and several things can make
it more susceptible to stimulation. A hole in the tooth can allow irritants to
reach the nerve, if the hole is too deep the nerve can become infected and
"dies". This can be painless, but often the process is accompanied by increasing
sensitivity of the tooth until in the end it just hurts all the time. Obviously
the treatment for this is to have the hole fixed.
Less easily cured is tenderness at the neck of
the tooth. The protective enamel crown of a tooth only goes down to gum level,
so, if the gum recedes or the neck is worn away, sensitive dentine can be
exposed. Make sure you brush this area up and down and not backwards and
forwards to prevent further wear. Several brands of toothpaste "for sensitive
teeth" can help to seal this area, try them to see if they work for you.
Fluoride also helps so after you've brushed your teeth; smear a little fluoride
toothpaste over the sore area using your finger.
Sometimes teeth become sensitive without apparent cause. This is often
attributed to a previous knock that has irritated the nerve over a long period.
Other causes are leaking fillings and cracked cusps, which can be difficult to
diagnose.
In severe cases there are some potions that can applied by the dentist,
and, as a last resort, it may be necessary to remove the tooth's nerve and "root
fill" the tooth.
Dental disease can be prevented by avoiding sweet food and drink between
meals, and by brushing you teeth really well with a fluoride toothpaste last
thing at night.
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