Whenever you have hot or cold food, if you feel a sharp pain on the teeth then your teeth is said to be sensitive. It is referred to as Dentin Hypersensitivity (DH). The typical sharp pain occurs because the inner dentin layer of the teeth is exposed and comes in direct contact with hot or cold food. How to relieve your DH or tooth sensitivity? Keep reading.
What are the causes of Tooth Sensitivity?
Fractured teeth, gum disease and tooth decay can all lead to tooth sensitivity. Any of these factors may cause the tooth enamel and the gum tissue to wear off. This wear can expose the root of the teeth and dentin, the next layer of the tooth. Enamel coating of the teeth and the dentin layers actually protects the nerves and the soft tissues inside the teeth. So any wearing off of these outer layers causes the nerves and the tissues to react to the external food. The dentist can let you know if your enamel layer has worn off and the dentin has been exposed during your dental visit. The presence of DH can be confirmed only if the patient is showing sensitivity to hot or cold food.
That’s where potassium nitrate comes in‚ it’s a desensitizing agent that can help people with this type of tooth sensitivity. Read on to learn more about potassium nitrate dental uses for DH.
How to Relieve Tooth Sensitivity?
- Your dentist may perform fluoride application on the exposed areas of the teeth to help strengthen the enamel and reduce sensitivity.
- In cases where gum tissue erosion is more, fluoride application may work due to the severity of the wear. In such cases, a gum graft procedure may be recommended by your dentist. This procedure helps to protect the exposed part of your tooth root
- Your dentist will prescribe tooth paste containing potassium nitrate. This compound calms the nerve fibres in the teeth thereby helping to reduce teeth sensitivity. Potassium nitrate as works by blocking the transmission of pain from the teeth to the brain.
- Additionally, your dentist will also recommend you to avoid hot, cold and acidic foods until your teeth sensitivity issue is addressed.
- In case you have DH, your dentist will also recommend not to use medium or hard bristled toothbrushes but to use only extra soft or soft-bristled toothbrushes.
Be rest assured that teeth sensitivity is a common condition only if proper care of teeth is not taken and they are very much treatable. Speak with your dentist immediately if you have teeth sensitivity and do not forget to make it a point to have your regular dental visits to done to prevent any teeth sensitivity from occurring in the first place.