Teeth Sensitivity In Edmonton

Eating is supposed to be fun – not painful! If you feel pain in your teeth when you’re eating, or when you’re exposed to cold air, you may have sensitive teeth.

We can help! Come to our dental clinic in Edmonton, AB. We’ll determine what’s causing your tooth sensitivity. From there, we’ll propose what dental services are needed.

Tooth sensitivity can get worse over time, and it’s often easier to treat at its earliest stages. So don’t delay – if you have sensitive teeth, call us today.

Causes of Sensitivity

Sensitive teeth are most often caused by worn enamel. Enamel is the hardest, most mineralized part of the tooth. When it becomes worn down, another part of your tooth, dentin, can become exposed and tooth sensitivity occurs.

Dentin has nerve endings, so you’ll be able to feel hot, cold, and acidic foods – often as sharp pain.

Enamel can get worn down in a number of ways. Regularly consuming acidic foods and beverages, brushing too hard, and using a hard-bristled toothbrush can all contribute to worn enamel – and tooth sensitivity.

You can also experience sensitive teeth as a result of receding gums, periodontal disease (gum disease). As the gums recede, the roots of your teeth can become exposed. Exposed tooth roots are extremely prone to sensitivity.

Before a filling

Cracked teeth and teeth with cavities are also quite prone to sensitivity. This is for the same reason that teeth with worn tooth enamel are prone to sensitivity – the nerves of your teeth become exposed.

That’s one of the reasons fillings are so important. If you have sensitive teeth, we’ll do a thorough examination to find any cavities or cracks. We’ll then treat any decay, and use dental filling to seal up the area. In many cases, this completely eliminates tooth sensitivity.

After a filling

You may, however, still experience sensitive teeth after a filling. In most cases, this is caused by an irritated nerve. Fillings can get quite close to the nerves of the teeth, and this can create minor inflammation.

That inflammation may lead to tooth sensitivity caused by the same triggers – heat, cold, and acidity. This sensitivity usually goes away after a few days or a few weeks.

In rare circumstances, the filling may be too tall. In these cases, bite pressure can trigger sensitivity for months after the filling. If you’ve been experiencing sensitivity near a filling for a long time, give us a call. We can remove and redo the filling for you, if necessary.

How to Reduce Sensitivity

Other than fillings, there are a number of ways you can reduce teeth sensitivity. You can use desensitizing toothpaste – but remember that this simply stops the pain, and doesn’t treat the underlying condition.

When your enamel is worn, you can use fluoride gel to remineralize your teeth. A good oral health routine will also help you avoid losing enamel, and can stop sensitivity from coming back!

In the case of receded gums and serious periodontal disease, a gum graft may be necessary to eliminate sensitivity.

Pulpal Sensitivity

Tooth sensitivity may also be caused by inflammation of the tooth pulp, known as pulpitis. There are two forms of pulpitis – reversible and irreversible. Both cause sensitive teeth.

We can diagnose and treat pulpitis at our dental clinic in Edmonton, AB. Reversible pulpitis can be alleviated by treating the cause of the inflammation – often a cavity. Irreversible pulpitis must be treated with a root canal or, in some cases, an extraction.

Book an Appointment

You don’t have to live with sensitive teeth. By treating the underlying cause, we can reduce or eliminate sensitivity – all while improving your oral health.

Our dental clinic in Edmonton, AB is currently accepting new patients. Stop being so sensitive – give us a call today!