Sensitive teeth hurt! However, treating it is often easy. If your teeth are sensitive after eating hot and cold foods and it goes right away, then your problem will probably go away after brushing a few weeks with a desensitizing toothpaste such as Sensodyne or Denquel. A prescription flouride gel, such as PerioMed, works even better. Most of a tooth is made of hard material called dentin. Dentin has thousands of microscopic tunnels with small nerves in them and these tunnels are called tubules. The body covers dentin but things can happen that unnaturally expose dentin.

          Gums recede and dentin becomes exposed if a patient has periodontal disease or grinds. Many patients grind and do not know it. They often deny it! The grinding bends a tooth and stresses the nerves at the tooth neck. With time the dentin can melt away from grinding and causes notches on the root. Periodontal Disease causes the gums and bone underneath to become inflamed. The inflammation causes bone loss and the gums are lost after the bone loss. This causes the roots to become exposed and sensitive teeth.

          If sensitive teeth are from periodontal disease then the periodontal disease must be treated in addition to the sensitive teeth. Grinding is treated with a soft guard. Years ago hygienists believes that this was due to brushing hard. Today most toothbrushes are made with soft tufts and rounded edges. If nothing else appears wrong, the pain is usually due to tooth grinding.

          Sensitive teeth can come from dental cavities and sinus infections. Cavities must be filled and sinus infections can usually be treated with antibiotics such as tetracycline 500 milligrams for 10 days. A chipped or fractured tooth can cause some pain. Both of these problems are treated by having your dentist restore the tooth with a filling or crown. If the pain does not go away immediately, there may be a more serious problem and you should see a dentist immediately if pain persists. If you are considering sensitive tooth treatment make an appointment with Dr. Padolsky by calling  404-874-7428.