How to Alleviate Sensitive Tooth Pain

Many people have to deal with the pain and frustration of having sensitive teeth. It can make drinking a hot cup of coffee or eating ice cream an unpleasant experience and can make brushing your teeth a cringe worthy activity. There are a number of causes for sensitive teeth, but there are a number of things you can do to try to help alleviate the pain on your own before making a trip to the dentist. We're going to take a look at a few of those things.

Things You'll Need

• Toothpaste for sensitive teeth
• Floss
• A soft bristled toothbrush
• A fluoride rinse

Instructions

1. Cut acidic foods out of your diet. The acid in some types of food, such as tomatoes and citrus foods, may cause a tooth's enamel covering to erode, worsening sensitivity.

2. Stop using any harsh kind of mouthwash. This can also act in the same way as acidic foods. If your teeth are already sensitive, wearing down the enamel even more is only going to make the problem worse.

3. Switch to a soft bristled toothbrush. You'll find that it's gentler on your teeth and your gums, and will make brushing less painful. Proper brushing is necessary for correcting the problem of sensitive teeth and preventing other problems down the road. If you're brushing too hard, (and it's easy to do), you may be damaging your gums enough to make them recede. This is also a major cause of sensitive teeth, and a soft brush will help you monitor your brushing better.

4. Switch to a toothpaste that is made specially for sensitive teeth. These toothpastes contain desensitizing agents that will help you get the problem under control.

5. Floss regularly. This will help get any food remnants away from your teeth and gums, and improve your overall dental health. Unhealthy gums are one of the major causes of tooth sensitivity, and should be paid close attention to.

6. Before going to bed at night, spread some of your toothpaste over the problem areas. The desensitizing agent will continue to work.

7. Use a fluoride rinse. These are available in the toothpaste aisle of the supermarket, and will help rebuild damaged enamel as well as having the added bonus of helping protect against cavities. Use the rinse before going to bed, following the directions on the bottle.

Tips & Warnings

• If your sensitive teeth do not show an improvement over 2 weeks, check with your dentist.