Maintaining a healthy smile is about so much more than how your teeth look; how your smile feels is just as important. If you are one of the many people who suffers from dental sensitivity, then you already know this to be true. Chronic sensitivity can keep you from living your life to the fullest, but our Elmhurst dentists are here to help. Keep reading to learn more…
Dental sensitivity affects patients in a number of negative ways:
- It can limit the foods and drinks people consume—for example, many patients avoid hot and cold beverages due to irritation.
- Sensitivity contributes to inadequate dental hygiene—patients may not brush or floss as thoroughly as is recommended, because they experience discomfort when doing so
- It may exacerbate uneven and premature dental deterioration—chronic sensitivity can cause you to change how you chew and bite, which puts individual teeth under too much pressure
You may develop dental sensitivity for a number of different reasons, including:
- Thin dental enamel—if your dental enamel is too porous, irritants are able to reach the nerves within your tooth
- Receding gum tissue—as gum tissue pulls away from your tooth roots, your nerves can become exposed
- Existing cavities or infections—oral bacteria can move through the layers of the tooth and irritate sensitive dental pulp
- Bruxism—chronic dental grinding and clenching puts immense pressure on teeth, especially back molars
Our dental team customizes treatments for dental sensitivity to address the underlying cause of the discomfort. We may recommend:
- Treatments to strengthen natural dental enamel and gum tissue
- Protective materials to cover vulnerable enamel
- Specially-formulated oral hygiene products, designed to minimize nerve sensitivity
If you find yourself suffering from dental sensitivity, please remember that you absolutely do not need to live with this discomfort forever. There are effective and accessible treatments available to you; give our Elmhurst dentists a call to learn more!