Teeth sensitivity is one of those dental problems which may not be so serious but can seriously affect your quality of life. Since this condition leads to pain whenever you eat something that is either too hot or too cold, then you would have an extremely limited diet and you cannot indulge on certain things such as piping hot cup of coffee or a cold scoop of ice cream.
The Nature of the Condition
The reason for why dentin hypersensitivity develops is because of the fact that the enamel layer of the affected tooth, the external layer of the tooth, develops minute cracks and breaks which allow for substances to penetrate into the inner layers of the tooth. So from the enamel, small amounts of your ice cream or coffee would then move into the dentin layer until they reach the pulp, which contains all of the nerve tissues that enable your tooth to develop certain sensations. This interaction will then lead to development of pain that seems to be developing from inside the very core of your tooth.
Signs and Symptoms
Teeth sensitivity has very distinct signs and symptoms, which allow dentists as well as yourself to differentiate teeth sensitivity from the rest of the different dental conditions. For instance, the pain develops in a very instantaneous manner in that the sensation develops just as soon as your teeth comes in contact with the external stimulus. And the pain develops for just a couple of seconds before resolving completely. Comparing this to chronic dental infections such as when you have an abscessed tooth or a completely decayed tooth which develops pain in a persistent manner, teeth sensitivity lingers just for a couple of seconds.
Treating the Condition
Just like with different other dental conditions, teeth sensitivity will have to be treated according to the severity of the condition. For instance, a special toothpaste which can numb up the nerves within your tooth is enough to keep that tooth from developing pain when exposed to common triggers like certain food and drinks.
However, if the tooth has become a bit too worn out, this toothpaste may no longer be enough to treat the tooth. You may actually need to go through a root canal procedure in order to permanently remove the nerves enclosed within the tooth, if not reinforce the enamel layer with the help of composite resin, crowns or veneers.
