Teeth Sensitive to Heat and Cold? Here's Why.

Are your teeth sensitive to hot or cold temperatures? Is your tooth sensitivity keeping you from enjoying good dental health? If you have sensitive teeth symptoms or oral discomfort when eating or drinking, there are reasons behind it and ways to help. The following explores the most common causes of this dental problem and offers information on how the team at LANCO Dental Care in Lancaster, PA can help restore health and comfort to your smile.

What are the causes of sensitive teeth?

Do you experience a throbbing tooth or shock-like sensation in your teeth when you drink or eat something hot or cold in temperature? If so, you may be experiencing sensitive teeth symptoms from gum recession. When the gums shrink away from the teeth or recede, the tooth roots' surfaces become exposed. The small channels, called tubules, that run up the middle of each tooth are the nerve center for our teeth. When hot or cold foods that cause teeth sensitivity, even beverages, come in contact with the tooth roots, the brain often interprets it as tooth discomfort or pain. Tooth sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures is quite common among Lancaster, PA patients and can result from several other sources beside gums recession, such as:

• Teeth clenching or grinding
• Enamel erosion
• Age, hormonal imbalances, or genetics
• Tooth decay or worn-down fillings and crowns
• An infected or abscessed tooth
• Gum or periodontal disease
• Broken, overcrowded, or chipped teeth
• Tobacco use
• Gastroesophageal reflux or frequent vomiting

Can you treat sudden tooth sensitivity?

Tooth sensitivity, also known as dentin hypersensitivity, is precisely what it sounds like, discomfort or pain as a response to certain stimuli, such as cold or hot temperatures. It may be a chronic or temporary problem and can affect one tooth or several teeth. In most cases, sensitive teeth symptoms can be treated with a change in your oral hygiene, like changing to a toothpaste for sensitive teeth or choosing an alcohol-free mouth rinse. If underlying dental issues are causing tooth sensitivity, then working with LANCO Dental Care will determine the problem so it can be addressed. Patients with this dental issue may need gum grafting, a root canal, filling or crown replacement, or a simple in-office fluoride gel treatment to lessen or alleviate painful discomfort.

Do you need a dentist in Lancaster, PA?

Tooth sensitivity often presents as a painful feeling. Cold or hot temperatures from foods or drinks, even the mere act of brushing, may cause mild to severe oral discomfort. While a tooth sensitive to hot or cold temperatures may result from exposed root surfaces, a cavity, or other sources, LANCO Dental Care in Lancaster, PA can help. Our experienced team will access and rule out some of the more serious causes of tooth sensitivity so you can get back to enjoying life. Either way, please don't ignore sensitive teeth symptoms and let our team help address the problem and restore your oral health. Contact our office in Lancaster, PA, or schedule a consultation online today.