How many times have you bitten down on something cold or hot only to feel sudden pain in your teeth? If you have experienced this, it means you likely have tooth sensitivity. You should seek help from your dentist, but it is important to fully understand tooth sensitivity and know about some things you can do to prevent it as much as possible. Here are some things you need to know:

What Is the Cause of Tooth Sensitivity?

Tooth sensitivity can occur at any time. The cause is typically due to the wear down of the enamel or dentin on the teeth that exposes the roots near the base of the teeth. It can also be a side effect of gum disease or receded gums due to dentin and enamel erosion.

The teeth need to be healthy and have no exposed roots. The missing dentin or receded gums prevents the proper protection of the roots in your teeth. Without protection, anything that touches the teeth can cause sensitivity.

What Causes Tooth Erosion?

There are a variety of factors that lead to the erosion of the tooth enamel. If you brush your teeth using too much pressure, you can prematurely wear down your enamel and cause your gums to recede. If you use a toothpaste with an abrasive material, such as baking soda, it can wear down the teeth as well. If you eat or drink too much acid, your teeth will deteriorate much more quickly and become prone to tooth sensitivity. The same issue can happen if you suffer from acid reflux.

Another cause of tooth sensitivity is constant teeth whitening. When you bleach your teeth too often, your enamel will begin to wear down. If you grind your teeth, you may also notice more tooth sensitivity over time.

Can You Treat Sensitive Teeth?

You can take some steps to make your teeth less sensitive. If you have any decay that is causing the sensitivity, you should have that corrected by your dentist. You may also want to use a dentist-prescribed sensitivity toothpaste. If your gums have receded, you may need more drastic treatment, such as a gum graft, to fix the issue.

In addition, you may want to make changes to your diet to see if it decreases your tooth sensitivity. Remove acidic food and beverages from your diet to see if you can halt additional tooth erosion. This includes sugary foods and drinks, carbonated drinks, fruit juices, citrus fruits, and the like. A decrease in alcohol intake can also help.

Contact a general dentistry clinic to learn more.