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Do I have to live with tooth sensitivity?

family dentistry DallasTooth sensitivity can have detrimental effects on your quality of life. You may feel like you need to give up some of your favorite foods that trigger symptoms or spend your days coping with discomfort.

Fortunately, tooth sensitivity is not necessarily a permanent condition. Your family dentist can offer effective treatments for the problem.

The first step is determining what is causing your tooth sensitivity. Any number of factors, including general wear and tear, gum disease, tooth grinding or advanced decay, among other issues, can be at fault. The cause of the tooth sensitivity will then influence the treatment.
If an underlying condition is contributing to your problem, your family dentist can treat that ailment to give you relief from tooth sensitivity. For example, if receding gums have exposed the sensitive roots of your teeth, an intervention to resolve that problem can be effective. At the same time, cavities causing tooth sensitivity can be filled.

Similarly, when tooth grinding leads to tooth sensitivity, the patient can be fitted with a custom-designed mouthguard to be worn during sleep to prevent the upper and lower teeth from contacting each other and causing damage to the enamel.

The family dentist may also recommend a fluoride treatment to strengthen your teeth, which can make the teeth less sensitive too.

Other measures that you can implement on your own can also help to reduce tooth sensitivity. You can switch to a special toothpaste formulated specifically for sensitive teeth. Or, you can make adjustments to your brushing technique, as overly aggressive brushing can create additional wear on the teeth.

Patients who have sensitive teeth may also benefit from restricting their consumption of acidic foods and beverages.

If you have trouble with sensitive teeth, it’s very important to see your dentist every six months as recommended so that he can keep tabs on the problem and keep your teeth as healthy as possible.

Don’t feel that you have to suffer with tooth sensitivity. Effective treatments are available. If you’ve been suffering from this symptom, call our office to learn more about how you can address it.