Causes of Sensitive Teeth

Jun 9th, 2018
Easton Dentists Jul 9th, 2018

There’s nothing better on a hot summer’s day than a scoop of nice, cold ice cream. That is, unless you suffer from sensitive teeth. If you do, eating cold foods like ice cream can cause you a lot of pain. There are many causes of sensitive teeth. Below, we’ve outlined a few of the most common ones.

1. Brushing your teeth too hard

It may come as a surprise that you could be brushing your teeth too intensely. After all, we tend to think that the harder we brush, the cleaner our teeth. In actuality, however, brushing your teeth too hard can wear away the protective layers of your teeth. Over time, this will expose the tiny hollow tubes that lead to your dental nerves. Once this happens, you’ll likely experience sensitivity to extreme temperatures as well as acidic and sticky foods. Luckily, switching to a softer tooth brush and treating your teeth more gently can go a long way toward preventing increased sensitivity.

2. Grinding your teeth

Grinding your teeth causes sensitivity similarly to how brushing your teeth too hard causes sensitivity: you wear away the protective layers of your teeth until your nerves are easily triggered. If you suspect you grind your teeth, you should see a dentist right away. A mouth guard can help to prevent further damage.

3. Receding Gums

If your gums are receding, the sensitive roots of your teeth with be exposed. As a result, you’ll experience severe sensitivity. Receding gums can be caused by gum disease and grow more common with age. If you believe your gums are receding, you should see your dentist right away. He or she will develop a treatment plan to cure your gum disease and may also perform a procedure to seal your teeth.

If you’re suffering from sensitive teeth, be sure to mention it to your dentist. There may be fairly simple steps you can take to decrease your current sensitivity and to prevent further sensitivity in the future.

Don’t Overdo the Sports Drinks

Jun 9th, 2018
Easton Dentists Jul 9th, 2018

As the summer heats up, you may find that you’re tempted to load up on sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade. These beverages taste great, but they shouldn’t be your go-to drink. In fact, if you’re not engaged in the strenuous physical activity for which these drinks were designed, you should avoid them entirely.

In addition to the fact that sports drinks often contain a lot of sugar and other not-so-healthy ingredients, they tend to be very acidic. The acid in these beverages can destroy the enamel on your teeth. In fact, just five consecutive days of drinking these acidic beverages can negatively affect your enamel.

As acid destroys your enamel, it makes your teeth more vulnerable to bacteria. As a result, you may experience increased tooth staining, decay, and hypersensitivity. The best way to avoid these dental issues is to do whatever you can to protect your enamel.

If you are set on drinking sports drinks, you should be sure to rinse your mouth with water after drinking them. Doing so will rinse some of the acid away from your teeth before it can do much damage. In addition, you should brush your teeth about an hour after drinking these beverages. It’s best not to brush your teeth immediately after drinking something acidic because the enamel on your teeth will be in a weakened state and could be brushed away.

We know a nice, cold sports drink is tempting on a hot day, but it’s best not to make a habit of drinking these beverages. Instead, try to primarily drink water.

If you believe your teeth have been damaged by excessive consumption of acidic beverages, give us a call today. We will examine your teeth and give you pointers for reversing damage if possible and preventing damage in the future. We hope you have a great, tooth-healthy summer!