Sensitive teeth

Dental sensitivity is a painful syndrome that can turn into chronic. It sometimes can be very painful and cumbersome. This transitory pain is a consequence of the dentine exposure to chemical, osmotic, thermal or tactile stimuli and cannot be associated with any other dental pathology. Some people tolerate this hyper sensitivity whereas for other people it is a serious problem that affects their life, oral hygiene habits and even their diet.

The lack of attention to sensitive teeth might develop into other oral problems. This frequently happens when the pain does not allow the normal brushing of the teeth and thus the person becomes more vulnerable to caries and gum diseases.
If you fell uneasy when eating certain types of food, visit your dentist.

More information

Sensitive teeth are a very common problem that affects one in seven people. The teeth with a higher prevalence to suffer from hyper sensitivity are the canine and pre-molars whereas the molars are the ones with a lower prevalence to hyper sensitivity. People between 20 and 40 years old are the ones showing more impact and women suffer from it more frequently than men.

In normal conditions, when the teeth is in its normal position, just the enamel is in touch with the oral environment and the gum border is located between the enamel and cement (Anatomy of the tooth). When the cement or dentine become exposed because of the gingival bounce back or of the enamel loss, and external tactile, thermal stimuli can cause a painful feeling that, in normal conditions would not be bothering at all.