Due
to the many causes of tooth sensitivity or pain, we suggest you visit
our dental practice to help determine the cause of your specific cause of tooth pain or sensitivity
and what treatment options may be available for you.
The
following details only cover the more common causes of tooth sensitivity or pain.
Many adults may suffer from sensitive teeth
When
sensitivity affects your teeth, eating experiences that are normally
pleasurable can be very painful. Food and drinks that are usually
enjoyable such as hot coffee, steaming soup, ice-cold
drinks or ice-cream - may stimulate a sharp,
sudden pain that shoots deep into the nerve endings of your teeth.
If
you've experienced sensitivity, you know its sensation all too
well. What you may not know is that this condition can often be prevented
or possibly eliminated.
By
learning about sensitivity you may find that your one step closer to enjoying hot or cold foods and
drinks.
What
causes sensitive/painful teeth?
1.
Caries (Decay)/Abscess
Bacteria may destroy the enamel of the tooth making its way to the
next layer in, being dentine. The dentine is directly connected
to the pulp of the tooth via little tubules. These fluid filled
tubules once exposed, conduct hot/cold/sweet sensations to the
nerve of the tooth, often making the tooth sensitive.
As
the bacteria penetrates further into the tooth it may start to infect
and destroy the pulp (nerve) of the tooth. The dying nerve may
start becoming very sensitive as the nerves are now completely
exposed.
This
infection can then continue if not treated, through the tip of
the root into the bone causing an abscess. The tooth could
progress from being sensitive to a tooth ache and the face
may become swollen. A
root canal treatment or tooth removal may be required.
2.
Tartar
Tartar
is a hardened substance that adheres to the surface of the tooth.
It is made up of several components being bacteria (plaque), saliva
and food. The bacterial component may destroy the gingiva (gum) causing
gingivitis and this could progress to destroying the bone holding the tooth
causing Periodontitis. This may expose the root of the tooth (recession)
which is very close to the nerve causing possible sensitivity.
3.
Toothbrush abrasion
People
who use a very hard toothbrush or not the correct brushing technique
can destroy the gingiva (gum) around the tooth causing it to recede,
exposing the root of the tooth. Continuing with a poor brushing
habit can wear away the root surface and this could cause very sensitive teeth.
4.
Abfraction
People
who grind or clench their teeth can cause the tooth enamel to flex along
the gum line. This may cause the gum to recede and start to destroy
tooth structure at this point. Combine this with a poor brushing
habit, the surface of the root is worn away and this could cause very
sensitive teeth.
5.
Grinding/Clenching
This
habit wears away tooth structure. Also the constant severe forces
placed on the teeth may cause the nerve to be over stimulated and
consequently very sensitive.
6.
Cracked tooth syndrome
This
problem is becoming more and more common as many people retain
most teeth for a life time. More details are just below.
Click
Urgent
Dental Treatment for details about pain relief and what to
do if your tooth gets knocked out.
Cracked tooth syndrome
This is becoming one of the biggest problems in dentistry today
and a large cause of why teeth are having to be extracted. This
generation of humans are living longer than any other previous
generation. So our teeth are being asked to do a lot more for
us then they have in the past.
Common Signs
and Symptoms
1.
Pain on chewing or when you release the biting pressure
(this is because the crack is opening and closing). The chewing
pain may be intermittent or only occur when it is hard or grainy
foods that land on the weakened spot. Often the pain is very short,
sharp and specific.
Some
people "learn" how to avoid eating on the cracked tooth
and feel as though the problem as gone away. The problem can then
get worse.
2.
Sensitivity to hot, cold foods or sweet things
3.
Can slowly progress to a constant toothache (this usually
means that the nerve of the tooth is now damaged and root canal treatment may be required).
Treatment
of Cracked tooth syndrome
Two common causes of cracked teeth are;
1.
Large Fillings - teeth with
fillings in them are mechanically weaker, as there is less tooth
structure present to hold the tooth together. If the filling in
the tooth involves more than one third of the tooth then the strength
of the tooth can be less than half of its normal strength. Every
time you eat, grind or clench the tooth is likely to flex slightly. After
doing this many thousands of times a fracture or hair line crack
may propagate just like a crack in a car's windscreen.
2.
Habits - this involves people
who Clench or grind their teeth or chew on objects such as hard
sweets. The tooth is often not strong enough for this constant trauma.
Treatment
A visit to your dentist as soon as possible is important to increase
the chances of saving the tooth or preventing more extensive and
expensive treatment.
A
simple crack is where the nerve of the tooth is not involved.
These teeth often require a crown. A filling may not properly hold
the crack together. The crown,
however acts like the metal rings that hold a barrel together. Alternatively it may be possible to place a restoration made of resin, ceramic or gold over the biting surfaces of the tooth (cusps) to help reduce the possibilty of crack propagation.
In rare cases the crack may involve the nerve (complex
crack) and the tooth could still remain or become problematic
even after the crown is placed. This is due to bacteria that cannot
be removed from the crack and it could enter the nerve. In these
cases root canal treatment may be possible to do through the crown and a white
filling can often be placed in the middle of the crown. In some cases the crown may require replacement after the root canal is completed.
The
crown usually continues to hold the tooth together.
In rare cases the crack can cause the tooth
root to split below the crown. In these rare cases the tooth may
have to be removed (extraction).
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