How to Care for Sensitive Teeth

If you have sensitive teeth, you may feel pain when your teeth are touched or exposed to hot or cold foods. The condition, called "dentin hypersensitivity," occurs when the roots of teeth become exposed due to gum disease (the most common cause), excessive brushing, aging or tooth grinding.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Dental Floss
• Electric Toothbrushes
• Extra-soft Toothbrushes
• Mouthwash
• Toothpaste For Sensitive Teeth
• Dental Floss

1. See your dentist first. He or she might seal the sensitive area with a bonding agent or prescribe a fluoride gel, which can be rubbed into gums after brushing.

2. Use a toothbrush with extra-soft bristles, and do not brush horizontally, which exposes tooth roots.

3. Switch to a toothpaste formulated especially for sensitive teeth.

4. Avoid stimuli that trigger pain. Hot or cold foods like ice cream and coffee, sweet or sour foods such as lemons and candy, and acidic foods such as wine and grapefruit juice commonly cause problems for people with sensitive teeth.

Tips & Warnings

• If you grind your teeth, consider stress-reduction techniques such as exercising.
• It is important to visit your dentist first to determine the underlying cause of hypersensitivity, which could be cavities, abscesses or other problems.
• If symptoms persist or if you have specific medical conditions or concerns, we recommend you contact a dentist. This information is not intended as a substitute for professional dental advice or treatment.

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on 8/8/2006 Do not re contour your teeth, they will for sure become sensitive.
Also, if you replace an old filling, they can become sensitive, although it is said that the sensitivity disappears in several weeks.

on 7/9/2006 I have sensitive teeth. The pain is absolutely unbearable, sometimes the pain keeps me up all night. I found Sensodyne toothpaste. Sensodyne gets rid of the pain quickly. So my advice would be to use Sensodyne toothpaste for at least a week, 4 times a day. And watch your sensitivity disappear.

on 6/30/2006 My sensitivity is general - meaning it is over most of my mouth, so brushing with DenClude has helped lessen the problems (though it is 8 dollars a tube and only found at your dentist's office). My dentist has suggested that this type of sensitivity is caused by a mineral imbalance, so I am now looking into that!

on 3/16/2006 Try using Tom's of Maine natural toothpastes. I had sensitive teeth for years using Sensodyne and similar toothpastes. After a month of using the Tom's, my teeth were no longer sensitive and didn't hurt when eating cold foods. Any natural, organic or chemical-free toothpaste could have the same result.

on 11/22/2005 I drink a small glass of milk afterwards. Milk works even better than water (milk's pH is buffered, but water's pH is not buffered).