Dental sensitivity can be permanent or temporary. We might experience temporary sensitivity immediately after dental treatment or during a tooth whitening procedure. A permanent state of sensitivity would come up every time our teeth would be exposed to cool air or come in contact with hot/cold beverage. Such sensitivity is usually due to gum recession.
The leading reasons for gum recession are: advanced gingival disease in which the bone is resorbed, this leads to gum recession. Abrasion- aggressive tooth brushing and acidic diet (such as high consumption of acidic beverage. It is noteworthy to say that acidic beverage drinking leads to enamel wear on the occlusal surfaces more than gum recession.
What am I supposed to do to decrease tooth sensitivity?
First, the site of sensitivity needs to be located in order to minimize its exposure to further irritation. Make sure we don’t brush our teeth too aggressively, with the help of a soft tooth brush. We could also make use of an appropriate tooth paste with a low RDA (relative dentin abrasion). Finally, we could visit the dentist and oral hygienist for further tooth brushing instructions.
Tooth ache sources
Tooth pain usually arises from the following two sources:
- pain that arises from the pulp of the tooth (the nerve)
- pain that arises from the surrounding tissue
These two exhibit different sensations of pain.
Pulpal pain is very strong, feels as if it has a beat of its own, is sometimes sharp and could even wake us up during the night. It could also project pain to adjacent locations. Because this pain is inflammatory it could worsen or cool down with time and is not stable.
Such pain could be the result of a deep cavity, tooth fracture or a deep filling.
On the contrary, pain from surrounding tissues is usually dull and can be caused by trauma, occlusal load, food impaction, an impacted tooth, periodontal abscess, secondary to a recently done treatment and etc.
When should I immediately search for dental help?
There are certain cases where immediate dental help is needed:
- A sharp abrupt pain, that sometimes disrupts sleep, projects to other locations and isn’t centered to one area
Search for immediate dental care! It is most likely an acute pulp infection of the tooth, meaning the tooth nerve has been damaged and first aid treatment is necessary that could be a pulpotomy or extraction( depending on the tooth and its condition). After this proper root canal treatment is due.
- Sharp pain, swelling or limited mouth opening. These symptoms could arise while a wisdom tooth is partially erupted and the gums around it are inflamed.
Search dental help in such a case for a thorough cleaning and disinfection of the area. Antibiotics and tooth extraction might be necessary
- Pain while chewing could be the result of many problems. Some of these problems that require dental assistance are checking a filling that was recently done and is disrupting normal occlusion, food impaction due to a weak contact point between 2 teeth or a case of tooth fracture.
- Each case of a serious facial injury should be thoroughly checked at the emergency room. Cases that present with tooth fractures and cuts in the oral cavity could also be treated at a dental clinic
- Cases with extra oral edema need to be thoroughly checked. Sometimes the cause is dental and antibiotics are prescribed. Any worsening shouldn’t be taken lightly, please attend an emergency room if so.
New lesions in the oral cavity should be checked by a dentist
Q&A about tooth pain
What could tooth ache arise from?Dental pain could arise from the following sources: pain that arises from the pulp of the tooth (the nerve), pain that arises from the surrounding tissue
When should I immediately search for dental help?You should come to see a dentist immediately when:
You feel a sharp, unbearable, sleep disrupting, projecting to other areas pain.
Strong pain, sometimes swelling or limited mouth opening.
Each case of a serious facial injury should be thoroughly checked at the emergency room. Cases that present with tooth fractures and cuts in the oral cavity could also be treated at a dental clinic.
New lesions in the oral cavity should be checked by a dentist
Pain that arises from the pulp of the tooth (the nerve), pain that arises from the surrounding tissue.
מגוון מצבים יציגו את סוג הכאב הנ”ל בדרגות שונות, ביו היתר נגע עששתי (חור) שהגיע עד למוך השן, שבר בשן או שחזור (סתימה) עמוק.
כאב הנובע מהרקמה הסובבת את השן הינו עמום יותר ויכול להיגרם כתוצאה מטראומה, עומס סגרי נקודתי, דחיסת מזון, קרבה לשן כלואה ,אבצס פריודונטלי ,מצב הפיך משני לטיפול שיניים שנעשה לאחרונה ועוד