Tooth sensitivity is one of the most common dental pathologies. According to statistics, about 40% of patients experience this serious disease. Discomfort in the oral cavity appears as a response to cold air, sweet or sour foods, and hygiene procedures. If the problem has already manifested itself, you need to know how to quickly lower the threshold of tooth sensitivity and be able to relieve discomfort at home.
Grounds for the manifestation of anxiety symptoms
Hypersensitivity (hyperesthesia) dentists call for the increased excitability of hard dental tissues. With this disease, a person experiences not only discomfort but also pain, which greatly complicates everyday life and makes it difficult to enjoy simple joys.
Such deviations are usually the result of several specific factors:
- Excessively intensive cleaning, too much pressure on the brush;
- An abundance of harmful bacteria in the oral cavity, which leads to the formation of plaque;
- Various dental diseases: increased abrasion of the enamel layer, malocclusion, caries, inflammation, severe periodontitis, etc.;
- The use of unsuitable products for regular oral hygiene: abrasive pastes, hygiene tools with hard bristles;
- Frequent whitening;
- Prolonged use of antibiotics and other drugs that affect the teeth;
- Malnutrition, lack of necessary vitamins and minerals in the diet;
- Harmful inclinations (smoking, constant habit of gnawing nuts, and seeds);
- Addiction to salty, sour, and spicy foods (citrus fruits, orange juice, carbonated drinks), which destroys the enamel and makes it porous;
- Disruptions in the hormonal background;
- Grinding and mechanical damage;
- Old or defective fillings.
All of the above reasons should be remembered when figuring out what to do with high tooth sensitivity and how to remove discomfort at home.
Consequences of the whitening procedure
Quite often, hyperesthesia is a consequence of whitening manipulations. Almost immediately, discomfort is reported by most patients. It is noteworthy that this happens not only as a result of inept actions at home but also after the provision of services by qualified specialists.
Of course, if the cleaning is carried out in the Dentiki dental office, the risk of hypersensitivity is minimized. After all, our doctors know well which cleaning method will be most suitable for the client. In addition, it first eliminates all existing problems in the oral cavity and only then proceeds to whiten. After that, the doctor necessarily performs procedures to strengthen the weakened enamel layer.
Those who choose to whiten their teeth at home are at much greater risk. Incorrectly selected abrasives, if used incorrectly, lead to mechanical injuries and destruction of the enamel. And of course, few people think that before using whitening compounds, it is necessary to eliminate any pathological manifestations in the mouth.
When reviewing information online on how to get rid of tooth sensitivity and reduce discomfort at home, it is important to understand that even when the procedure is carried out by a specialist, negative manifestations cannot be completely excluded. In any case, the enamel layer acquires porosity, and the dentinal tubules open, which leads to unpleasant and even painful sensations. To calm the pain and eliminate other symptoms, dentists recommend using special restorative and strengthening agents. They normalize the mineral composition of the enamel and saturate it with fluorine.
If you want whitening to be as safe as possible and hypersensitivity not to appear after it, follow a few rules:
- The procedure is best left to a professional.
- If you are going to whiten your teeth at home, use only specialized products recommended by your dentist. Do not abuse abrasive pastes.
- First, get rid of any dental pathologies, and put the oral cavity in order.
- Manipulations aimed at strengthening the enamel layer should be carried out at least 2 weeks before cleaning. Take the same amount of time to recover after.
As a result of filling
Trying to find out what helps with tooth sensitivity, how to remove and how to reduce discomfort, you should remember that hyperesthesia often makes itself felt immediately after visiting the dentist’s office. And it’s not just whitening. Discomfort may also occur when the patient has had a filling. Don’t worry – this is normal. With the condition that the unpleasant symptom gradually weakens, and disappears completely after about 7-10 days.
Hypersensitivity can also be a consequence of depopulation. This is how dental tissues and the oral cavity as a whole respond to therapeutic manipulations and the drugs used. At the same time, if unpleasant sensations continue to disturb for a long period, the admission of a medical error is not excluded. This situation is a serious reason to visit the dentist’s office again and tell him about your problem.
During pregnancy
This is by far the most beautiful moment in the life of every woman is associated with numerous difficulties. Including in the fair sex, bearing a fetus, hyperesthesia often manifests itself. This happens as a result of an increased load on the body, hormonal disruptions, metabolic disorders, and a decrease in immunity.
Studying the available materials, how to soothe sensitive teeth, and what to do at home, know that alarming manifestations cannot be ignored. Getting rid of pain and discomfort on your own is very difficult and often unsafe. Especially considering the position of the future mother. When the pathology was discovered during pregnancy, you should immediately contact a specialist. Only an experienced dentist will be able to prescribe the appropriate therapy and a course of wellness procedures.
Ideally, the condition of the dental elements should be taken care of even at the stage of maternity planning. Accustom yourself to preventive procedures, eat right, and do not be afraid to once again look into the dental office. It is necessary to introduce foods enriched with vitamins C and D, magnesium, and calcium into the diet.
As a reaction to hot and cold
This is the first sign of hypersensitivity. The range of sensations, in this case, is different, from a sharp, bright pain at one point, which quickly disappears, to a prolonged pain syndrome of a weak character in several at once. Manifestations can be triggered by a slight thinning of the enamel layer or more serious pathological processes. That is why you should not put off going to the doctor. Only a professional will be able to understand the problem and recommend effective methods for eliminating hyperesthesia. If pathology is found, the doctor will conduct the appropriate treatment, and what to do, how to treat highly sensitive teeth, he will decide only after examining the patient.
Symptoms
Hypersensitivity is mainly manifested in the form of short-term toothache or discomfort provoked by the use of food at contrasting temperatures. The same sensations can appear when a person eats excessively sweet, salty, and sour foods, and also simply carries out daily hygiene procedures. Soreness in this case is weak or acute pulsating. Suffering does not last long, after a few seconds the condition returns to normal, and painful sensations disappear without a trace.
Manifestations can be local, affecting only one or a few dental elements, as well as generalized (when pain is felt all at once, which indicates the presence of caries, periodontitis, or exposure of the necks and roots).
Pain syndrome is an integral companion of hypersensitivity. Despite its temporary disappearance and the absence of anxiety when eating hot, cold, salty, sour, and sweet, the problem itself is not solved. Just periodically there are remission periods. Pathology will not go anywhere, the condition will only worsen if you do not use the help of a competent dentist promptly.
How to treat and eliminate tooth sensitivity at home
Before embarking on therapeutic measures at home, you should consult a dentist. Usually, doctors strongly recommend using only professional remedies to fix the problem. Among them:
- “Fluocal”.
- “Diplan Denta F”.
- “Profokar” and others.
Yes, they are sold in pharmacy chains freely, without a prescription, but it is still necessary to listen to the recommendations of a specialist beforehand. After all, these drugs are characterized by a high content of fluorine, and this substance may be contraindicated in some categories of patients.
Remember, hypersensitivity itself is not a disease. But it is she who acts as a consequence of the course of pathological processes. To reduce the risk of dental disorders, you must first make an appointment with a doctor.
When starting home therapy, do not forget that it is not only the outside that will strengthen and restore the dental elements. Their condition is directly affected by everything that happens to our bodies from the inside. To speed up recovery, you should take your medications prescribed by your doctor, as well as revise your nutrition plan and introduce foods enriched with beneficial compounds into it.
Preventing Tooth Extraction: Tips for Maintaining Healthy Teeth
With exacerbation of hyperesthesia, try to exclude possible irritants. In some situations, it is advisable to choose a brush that is more suitable for hygiene procedures.
When figuring out how to relieve strong tooth sensitivity at home, and what to do when alarming symptoms appear, do not forget that you need to strengthen not only bone tissue but also the gums. After all, the health of the oral cavity largely depends on their condition.
Home therapy
As a means for self-treatment of hyperesthesia, the use of various healing compounds is allowed. Such substances are usually intended for rinsing the mouth or applying to the surface of dental elements. Of the most common, it is worth listing:
- “Fluorac”.
- “Fluocal”.
- “Lac Bifluoride 12”.
- “Remodent”.
- Tooth Mousse.
- MI Paste Plus.
This list contains drugs that help fight hypersensitivity against the background of impaired body functions and a slight thinning of the enamel layer. Before purchasing and using, it is imperative to consult a dentist.
Rinsers and pastes
If a visit to the dental office is postponed for a while, for regular cleaning of the teeth, it is necessary to use special formulations aimed at eliminating hyperesthesia. So, chloride, which is one of the main components of these funds, reduces the excitability of nerve endings. Sodium fluoride helps restore the enamel layer. The most effective are Blendamed Pro-Expert, Sensodyne F, LACALUT Extra Sensitive, SILCA Complete Sensitive, and others.
In addition, specialized rinse solutions are good options. They help reduce acute pain attacks. Thanks to the active ingredients that are part of the rinses, it is possible to get rid of harmful bacteria and eliminate the damaging effect on the enamel. Parodontol PROF, Desensin plus, Colgate Plax, etc. are especially common among such agents.
Treatment with folk methods: how to remove tooth sensitivity at home
Despite the intensive development of medicine, alternative methods of therapy are still relevant. These include:
- Rinsing the mouth with a decoction of oak bark, chamomile infusion, and a solution of soda and salt.
- The use of tea tree oil at the rate of 3 drops per glass of warm water.
- The systematic use of propolis “gum”.
Of course, all of the above methods can cope with the disease only at the initial stage of its appearance, when the enamel layer is slightly damaged.
Appointment at the dentist
Since hypersensitivity is in any case due to the presence of dental diseases, an appeal to a specialist is necessary. To be treated at home with folk methods – only to postpone the solution of the problem indefinitely. Delaying a visit to the doctor’s office will only aggravate the situation and lead to more severe pathologies.
Modern medicine does not lack effective methods of treating diseases of the oral cavity. Diagnostic measures allow you to accurately determine the causes of any disease and prescribe appropriate therapy. Caries, periodontitis, pulpitis, etc. – all these are successfully treated at any stage of the course of the disease. If no significant deviations are found, the doctor will prescribe procedures to restore the mineral balance of the dental elements, aimed at strengthening the enamel layer and eliminating hypersensitivity.
How to remove tooth sensitivity at home: prevention methods and recommendations from Dentiki dentists
At the first manifestations of even minor symptoms that signal the presence of dental problems, you should immediately seek help from a specialist. However, placing the responsibility for one’s health and well-being solely on healthcare professionals is fundamentally the wrong approach. You need to take care of yourself and regularly carry out preventive measures to prevent the appearance of hyperesthesia on your own. To do this, you need to listen to several useful tips from professional dentists:
- Choose the right brush for brushing your teeth, its bristles should not be too hard or too soft;
- Do not press on it in the process with excessive force, movements should be carried out carefully, thoroughly cleaning the surface;
- Do not abuse abrasive bleaching compounds, be sure to consult your doctor before using such products;
- Try to eat less acidic drinks and food, avoid a sharp change in temperature in the oral cavity (for example, do not eat ice cream immediately after a cup of hot coffee);
- Do not ignore the need to visit the dentist’s office.
Be sure to consider these recommendations when figuring out what to do if the enamel of the teeth has become sensitive and how to treat it.