Dentistry >>>> Tooth sensitivity - causes and treatment

Tooth sensitivity - causes and treatment.

Increased sensitivity of teeth (in medicine is called "hyperesthesia") originates in the violation of the protective layer of enamel and dentin and access to the pulp of the tooth - the nerve ending, which reacts to various stimuli: temperature (hot, cold), chemical (sour, salty, sweet), tactile.

Although the pulp chamber may not be disturbed, a very small loose layer of dental tissue remains before it, which no longer plays the role of protection assigned to it. Increased sensitivity of teeth develops when dental tissues are destroyed as a result of a decrease in mineral components in the composition of enamel and dentin, as a result of softening of these layers of tooth tissue, pathological abrasion of teeth, dental injuries accompanied by microcracks and chips or carious destruction of various degrees. Increased sensitivity of the teeth in the cervical region can be caused by detachment of the gingival margin and exposure of the part of the root, where the tooth tissue is thinner (the cement of the root is thinner and the pulp is closer). This is also facilitated by the development of a disease such as periodontal disease, when the process of atrophy of bone tissue begins (it decreases), the mucous membrane descends and exposes those parts of the tooth that are not designed to resist environmental stimuli.

The global reasons for the development of hypersensitivity are metabolic disorders, when there are a number of obstacles to the full accumulation of mineral substances by the tooth tissues responsible for its strength (hypocalcemia, hypophosphatemia, hypokalemia).

A person can become the culprit for the development of tooth sensitivity. The use of toothbrushes with too stiff bristles and excessively intensive brushing of teeth with these brushes, enthusiasm for teeth whitening agents (pastes, applications), frequent mechanical and dry cleaning of teeth will lead to the fact that tooth enamel begins to wear off and opens access to the nerve endings of the tooth.

The signs of tooth sensitivity are familiar to many people:

You breathe in the cold winter air and feel how your teeth react to it ("freeze");
You try a dish from the refrigerator - your teeth are cold;
You drink hot tea or coffee - a feeling similar to a full-fledged toothache develops;
If you eat sour fruits or salty vegetables, your teeth begin to ache.

Treatment for tooth sensitivity depends on the degree of damage to the hard tissues of the teeth. If the matter is in increased wear of the teeth, then prosthetics are relied upon, in which the crowns will cover the teeth from irritants that injure them. Microcracks of the tooth enamel are "closed" with the help of applications with mineral-containing pastes and sealants (remineralization is carried out ). Carious cavities and visible defects of the tooth resulting from trauma or pathological changes in tissues (hyperplasia, hypoplasia, wedge-shaped defect) are restored with filling materials, which will further perform a protective function for the pulp.

If it turns out that the teeth react to various stimuli, you should not deny yourself a visit to the dentist, because this will determine how long the living teeth will last. Pulp injuries of a temperature and chemical nature can cause pulp necrosis, and the teeth will have to be depulpated, which means that the full life of the teeth will be over.