Have you ever felt sharp pain in your teeth after drinking something hot or cold?
That’s tooth sensitivity – “dentin hypersensitivity” according to dental terminology...
Don’t worry; you’re not alone, 1 out of 7 individuals in the world is suffering from it..
Pretty common, isn’t it?
By the way,
Have you ever thought about its reason?
No?
No problem, this article will explain everything about Sensitivity in teeth from cause till treatment…
So,
Let’s start learning...
What is Dentin Hypersensitivity?
Sudden sharp pain caused by irritation of the pulpal nerve endings...
This may sound Greek to you now, but don’t worry...
I (Dr. Rashesh Shah – Dentist) will explain everything to you step-by-step...
First, we need to learn the basic structure of the tooth..
Structure of tooth
Tooth is divided into two parts: - Crown and root.
Crown is the part of the teeth visible in the oral cavity and Root is covered by gums and jaw bone.
There are 3 layers in both Crown and Root.
Crown is made up of Enamel, Dentin and Pulp from outside in; whereas, in Root, there is Cementum in place of Enamel.
When enamel wears away due to any reason -
Reasons for sensitivity in Teeth: -
Vigorous brushing, Drinking acidic liquids often, crack in enamel due to trauma , Aging Etc..
Dentin gets exposed to the Oral cavity…
Now,
Structure of Dentin: -
Dentin is made up of multiple tubules,which contain fluid called Dentinal fluid.
It can move freely in the tubule and has contact with pulp inside and Enamel outside.
When enamel wears off, the outer end of the dentinal tubule will come in contact with the oral cavity...
So what?
To get that, we need to learn about Dentinal fluid
Dentinal fluid
Normally, Dentinal fluid moves slowly and steadily from pulp to Enamel..
But when it gets exposed and irritated by extreme temperature, or air blast, the flow of it will go in the inward direction - towards pulp..
That will irritate the nerve endings located in the pulp and cause pain.
Among various theories of Dentin Hypersensitivity, the one that is explained is called ‘Hydrodynamic Theory’ - Widely accepted .
The question you might have is - Enamel is the vital tissue and cannot regenerate, it means that nothing can be done about this problem…
This is something a normal person will think at first..
But, there are solutions…
Treatment of Sensitivity of Teeth: -
1). Restoration of the tooth
Because of the loss of enamel, dentine got exposed to the oral cavity that led to Dentinal sensitivity…
What if we add a layer between Dentin and oral cavity?
We can get rid of this problem..
Yes, this can be done…
We , either, can place a cap - A restoration that has the shape
of a Crown and made up of artificial materials or restoration like dental cements...
2). Blocking the nerve conduction
You were right, nothing can be done to regenerate the Enamel, but the cause of the problem is pulpal nerve endings…
We can block the delivery of messages from those nerves, in other words, we can block the nerve conduction..
That can be done by having potassium ion in excess, so we can give potassium supplements from outside to topically apply on the tooth..
Which will reach the pulp and will block the nerve conduction…
As of now, we have several options for that
But the most effective, plausible and cheapest option that anyone can do is…
Desensitizing toothpaste - Toothpaste that desensitize the tooth.
Among all desensitizing toothpastes, Sensodyne is the one backed by most researchers..So, we recommend this to our patients and readers, if they need it…
Also know : This can be done by Lasers also, but it is very costly and this facility is not available in smaller dental offices...
- As the major reason for sensitivity of teeth is frequent consumption of acidic beverages, it should be limited and ,if possible, discontinued at all.
- Proper brushing technique can help in cleaning the tooth properly , while not damaging the Enamel layer..
Brushing for a normal person..
Place your brush at a 45 degree angle with your gum and gently move the brush back-and-forth.
Do not forget to brush the inner and chewing surface of the teeth along with the outer..
- Using a soft-bristled toothbrush.. Our recommendation to our Readers is…
- Brush twice a day with Fluoride containing toothpaste like..
- Getting Scaling done at-least once a year ; so that gums don't recede - Peridontitis.
- Going for dental check-up at least once a year..
- Many people brush half asleep, so a powered toothbrush is the best alternative for them…
That’s all about Sensitivity in teeth..
If you have any question or want to know more, feel free to leave a comment below...