Have you ever quenched your thirst with an ice cold glass of water on a blistering hot day, just to find that when the frosty water met your teeth, alarms went off in your mouth?

If you have ever experienced sharp pain when consuming hot or cold food and beverages, it may be time to visit our dentist in McAllen today. At Whitewing Dental, we know that sensitive teeth are no fun to deal with. In order to remedy the problem, however, you need to know how and why it exists in the first place.

What is tooth sensitivity?

Experiencing pain when your teeth encounter hot or cold substances is a common dental problem we encounter in the world of dentistry. As in the example above, when a cold drink makes contact with sensitive teeth, a sharp and sudden pain shoots up from the sensitive nerve endings in your teeth.

When it hits, it isn’t a long-term sensation. It is, however, quite unpleasant.

Sensitive teeth isn’t a phenomenon that exclusively occurs when contact with cold liquids is made. The pain can occur when your teeth make contact with air, sweetness, acidity, or even hot—temperature-wise—foods. It may even occur when brushing and flossing.

What causes sensitive teeth?

When your enamel wears down, the dentin, a soft and tube-like material within the tooth, becomes exposed. The dentin leads to the tooth’s pulp where the nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissues are housed.

There are many ways that the enamel can wear down from your teeth:

• Brushing too hard
• Brushing with a hard-bristled toothbrush
• Plaque build-up
• Gingivitis
• Periodontal diseases that cause the gums to recede, exposing the dentin on the root of the tooth
• Cracked teeth where plaque and bacteria can seep into and cause an infection within the tooth’s pulp
• Worn dental fillings
• New dental work (temporarily)
• Teeth grinding or clenching
• Tooth-whitening products that contain harsh chemicals that are meant to remove stains but also remove enamel
• Eating acidic foods

Even using mouthwash every day can cause a reduction in your enamel. Look for and use neutral fluoride mouthwashes instead. Fluoride helps remineralize and strengthen the enamel in your teeth.

How can you prevent tooth sensitivity?

Luckily, there is no particular “at-risk” group of people when it comes to tooth sensitivity. Unfortunately, it can occur to just about anyone.

In order to truly prevent it from occurring, you would have to address the reason why your enamel is wearing down. Could it stem from excessive soda consumption? Soda is known to wear down the enamel in your teeth because of its acidity. Cutting back or eliminating soda from your diet can help stop further reduction of your enamel.

Do you grind your teeth when you are asleep? Purchase a mouth guard.

Switch out that hard-bristled toothbrush for a soft-bristled one. Most importantly, purchase some desensitizing toothpaste. There are several brands to choose from, or ask our WhiteWing Dental team what we recommend in-house. Make sure your desensitizing toothpaste is fluoridated and avoid tartar-control toothpaste.

If these home remedies aren’t doing the trick, dental procedures from crowns to root canals may be your last hope.

If you have been suffering from tooth sensitivity for some time now, don’t wait to come visit our McAllen dentist at WhiteWing Dental today.

Here at Whitewing Dental, we offer a number of services in order to help ease the symptoms of tooth sensitivity.

If all other remedies have been exhausted, a crown or bondings are simple solutions that may fix the issue of a cracked tooth. We even have fluoride treatments that may help with tooth sensitivity. A root canal would be the last resort if any other method of preventative or dental care has failed to work.

The last thing you want to do is wait to see if it goes away naturally without consulting us. If you suffer from tooth sensitivity, contact our Whitewing Dental offices at (956) 686-5577 to schedule an appointment with one of our dentists today.