Do substances like hot or cold food/drinks, sweets, chocolates, hurt your teeth? If yes, you might have a condition called Dentine Hypersensitivity also know as Tooth Sensitivity. Dentine Hypersensitivity could be described as a sharp shocking sensation felt usually due to exposure of the coronal or root dentine.
Some factors or Habits that could lead to exposure of the dentine are:
- Hard Toothbrush:- In an attempt to scrub off stains and calculus from the teeth which cannot be taken off by toothbrush, patients tend to vigorously brush their teeth with hard bristled toothbrush this gradually wears out the enamel and exposes the underlying dentine.
- Wrong toothbrush technique:- Most patients are ignorant on how to brush their teeth sometimes clean their dentine haphazardly gradually wearing out their gums resulting in gingival recession and subsequently eroding the enamel therefore exposing the root dentine.
- Tooth Decay/Caries: – One of the initial symptoms of a carious tooth is Dentine Hypersensitivity. This occurs when the infectious process has been left untreated and if this persists, the symptom would progress to an excruciating/severe pain.
- Plaque buildup: – Plaque contains quite a number of bacteria/germs. Excessive plaque deposition mainly due to poor oral hygiene results in “Gum disease” called Gingivitis/ Periodontitis. If this condition is left untreated it irritates the gums, forms a pocket which separates the gum from the tooth and then exposes the dentine.
- Habits: – Some patients have an habit of opening drinks with their teeth, chewing and crushing down hard substances like bone, clenching and grinding the teeth unconsciously while awake or asleep (bruxism), placing of pins in between the teeth…These habits could result in a crack or fracture, attrition of the teeth, wearing out and damaging the enamel, revealing the underlying dentine.
- Systemic Conditions like bulimia, Acid reflux (GERD) can erode the enamel, reveals the dentine, giving rise to a shocking sensation
PREVENTION/ MANAGEMENT
*Maintain good oral Hygiene.
*Consult your dentist/dental hygienist to learn the correct toothbrush technique and the right texture of toothbrush and toothpaste to purchase for tooth sensitivity.
*Avoid vigorous brushing to remove calculus and stains, visit the dentist at least twice yearly for routine scaling and polishing.
*For habitual tooth grinding, visit the dentist to fabricate a night guard.
*Visit your dentist twice yearly for routine oral examination to rule out possible systemic or oral condition, carious or fractured tooth. Any condition detected early can easily be intercepted.
DR EREBOR. E