Tooth sensitivity generally means that you have twinges of pain in your teeth when brushing, biting down, consuming hot or cold liquids or sweets. Sensitivity can be quite painful when left untreated. It has several potential causes:
- Poor oral hygiene allowing tartar to build up at the gum line and cause infection
- Long term tooth wear
- Clenching and grinding
- Receding gums
- Untreated caries
- Cracked teeth
- Cracked fillings
- Tooth whitening
- Infection
- Excessive pressure
The treatment for sensitivity requires an examination to determine the cause. Some of the treatments may include:
- Regular fluoride treatments
- night guard or splint to be worn during the day or at night
- New fillings or an adjustment of existing fillings
- Crowns
- Gum grafting
- More regular dental visits
- Desensitizing toothpaste
- Avoiding acidic foods
See your dentist for an exact diagnosis and treatment. Tooth sensitivity is not only annoying and troublesome, but also an indicator of an underlying condition. If your teeth are sensitive and it hurts to have them cleaned, request an anesthetic or nitrous oxide to make your dental hygiene visits more comfortable.
Facts About Decay
The number of cavities in the average mouth is down and people are keeping their teeth longer. People, on average, have healthier mouths than even 10 years ago. Specifically:
- The decline in tooth decay was greatest among kids but holds across every age group.
- Only 40% of young people age 6 to 19 had ever in their lives had cavities. That’s down from 50% a decade ago.
- Over the last ten years the proportion of people age 60 who’d lost all their teeth had decreased from 33% to 25%.
- Use of dental sealants, which block tooth decay on the chewing surfaces of kids’ vulnerable molars, was up 64%. 30% of kids had had at least one sealed tooth.
- Adults with post-high-school degrees had an average of three more teeth than those without a high school diploma.
- Smokers remain three times more likely than non-smokers to lose all their teeth. This figure has not changed from a decade ago.
- Socio-economic status plays a definite role in one’s general and dental health….33% of low-income adults have untreated decay. This compared with 16% of middle- and higher-income adults. 19% of kids living in poverty have untreated decay compared with 8% of wealthier kids. CDC & ADA 1/06
Good dental hygiene habits should begin before your child’s first tooth comes in. Wiping your baby’s gums with a soft damp cloth after feedings helps to prevent the buildup of bacteria. When teeth appear, start using a soft children’s toothbrush twice a day.
Once your child is preschool-age, start using fluoride toothpaste. Don’t cover the brush with toothpaste; a pea-sized amount is just right. Young children tend to swallow most of the toothpaste, and swallowing too much fluoride toothpaste can cause permanent stains on their teeth.
What about using fluoride tablets?
Fluoride helps make teeth strong by hardening the tooth enamel. Many cities are required to add fluoride to tap water. If you live in an area where the tap water doesn’t contain fluoride, your doctor may prescribe daily fluoride tablets when your child is about 6 months old. Fluoride is an important part of your child’s dental health, but don’t give him or her more than the directions call for. If you miss a dose, don’t give your child extra fluoride to make up. Just as with swallowed toothpaste, too much oral fluoride can cause stains on your child’s teeth.
What are cavities?
Cavities are holes that are formed when bacteria (germs) in your mouth use the sugar in food to make acid. This acid eats away at the teeth. Cavities are the most common disease in children. Good tooth care can keep cavities from happening in your child.
Is my child at risk for cavities?
Your child might be at risk for cavities if he or she eats a lot of sugary foods (such as raisins, cookies and candy) and drinks a lot of sweet liquids (such as fruit juice and punch, soda and sweetened drinks). Your child also might be at risk if he or she has any of the following risk factors:
- Was born early (prematurely) or weighed very little at birth (low birth weight)
- Has ongoing special health care needs
- Has white spots or brown areas on any teeth
- Does not go to the dentist very often
How can I help stop cavities?
Everyone in your family should take good care of their teeth. Family members with lots of cavities can pass the cavity-causing bacteria to babies and children.
Teeth should be brushed at least twice a day and adults should floss once a day. Everyone should see the dentist regularly. Sometimes twice a year, often 3-4 times a year. Have your doctor or dentist show you the right way to brush your child’s teeth.
Does diet affect my child’s teeth?
Yes. Avoiding sweets, sticky foods and between-meal snacks is good advice. To avoid cavities, limit sweet snacks and sweet drinks between meals. Have meals and snacks at regular times. Teeth-friendly snacks include fresh fruits and vegetables, and cheese and crackers.
Baby bottles can create additional problems with your child’s dental health. When liquid from a bottle–like milk and juice–stays in contact with the teeth for a long time, the sugars cause tooth decay. This can create a condition called bottle mouth. Your baby’s teeth can develop cavities and become pitted or discolored. Never put a baby to bed with a bottle, unless it contains plain water. Don’t let your child walk around during the day with a bottle, and teach your child to use a drinking cup around his or her first birthday.
Is thumb-sucking bad for my child?
It’s normal for children to suck their thumbs, their fingers or a pacifier. Most children give up this habit on their own by age 4, with no harm done to their teeth. If your child still has a sucking habit after age 4, tell your dentist. Your dentist can watch carefully for any problems as the teeth develop. In most children there is no reason to worry about a sucking habit until around age 6, when the permanent front teeth come in.
When should I start taking my child to the dentist?
The American Dental Association recommends that parents take their child to a dentist around his or her first birthday. This gives the dentist a chance to look for early problems with your child’s teeth. Visiting the dentist from a young age will help your child become comfortable with his or her dentist. It also establishes the good habit of regular dental check-ups.
What causes tooth decay?
Plaque bacteria uses sugar and starch in food as a source of energy. The bacteria convert the sugar or starch into harmful acids that attack tooth enamel. Repeated attacks may cause the enamel to break down resulting in cavities.
What are sealants?
A sealant is a plastic material that is applied to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth. This plastic resin bonds into the grooves and pits on the surfaces of the back teeth. The sealant can act as a protective barrier against decay.
Why are sealants necessary?
When the back teeth are developing, pits and fissures form in the chewing surfaces of the enamel. The toothbrush can not reach into them to keep them clean. Sealants keep out plaque and food, thus decreasing the risk of decay.
How are sealants applied?
It usually only takes a few minutes to apply sealants. The teeth that will be sealed are cleaned and conditioned to help the sealant adhere to the tooth. The sealant is then painted onto the tooth enamel where it bonds directly to the tooth and hardens. Sometimes a special curing light is used.
How long do sealants last?
Sealants hold up well under the force of normal chewing and usually last several years before a new application is necessary.
Are sealants just for kids?
The likelihood of developing pit and fissure decay begins as soon as the teeth erupt, so children and teenagers are obvious candidates. But adults can also be at risk for this type of decay and can benefit from sealants as well.