Many people in Phoenix, AZ have sensitive teeth. In fact, it’s a condition that’s seen throughout the Phoenix community. Having sensitive teeth can prevent you from enjoying delicious foods like ice cream, or even keep you from being out in the cold weather. This issue may affect all of your teeth, or be localized to a single tooth.
Causes of Sensitive Teeth
To cure sensitive teeth, it’s important to first identify what’s causing the symptoms. There are many factors that can lead to tooth sensitivity, some of which include the following:
- Worn tooth enamel
- Exposed tooth roots
- A cavity
- Cracked tooth
- Chipped enamel
- Compromised or leaking filling or crown
Curing Sensitive Teeth
Depending on the cause of your sensitive teeth, one or more of these treatments may eliminate your symptoms of discomfort.
Toothpaste – There are a variety of toothpastes available over-the-counter that are effective at curing sensitive teeth. You may need to try a few before you find the one that works best. Our Phoenix dentist can give you a recommendation or perhaps have a prescription-strength toothpaste that works better.
Professional Fluoride Treatments – Fluoride is great for preventing not only sensitivity but cavities as well. Our dentist may offer a fluoride varnish or foam that we apply over your teeth to form an invisible layer of fluoride protection that helps with symptoms for up to a few months.
Gum Tissue Graft – If your sensitivity is caused by gum loss, then we can replace the missing tissue by doing a gum tissue graft. For this procedure, we take a small amount of gum tissue from another area of your mouth and attach it to the affected site. There are also grafts products available to prevent you from having to remove your own healthy gum tissue.
Bonding – Bonding is an alternative to a gum tissue graft. For this procedure, Dr. Behbahani can place a filling-like bonding material over the roots to keep it covered, making it less vulnerable to sensitivity.
Desensitizer – All teeth have microscopic tubules or channels that lead to the tooth’s nerve. When exposed to the elements, these tubules allow heat, cold, acidic and sticky substances to reach the receptors inside the tooth, resulting in sensitivity.
Dr. Behbahani uses a desensitizing product that we can place over your problem area to seal the dentin tubules and any microcracks in the tooth enamel.
Update Your Dental Work – Perhaps you have a dental filling that’s breaking down or a crown that is loose, which is causing liquids to reach the sensitive parts of your natural tooth. In this case, your issue can be easily fixed by replacing your old dental work and sealing everything back up.
Getting Help with Sensitive Teeth
If you’ve been struggling with sensitive teeth and your at-home efforts aren’t working, then you should see Dr. Babak Behbahani, the Phoenix, AZ dentist at Central Valley Dentistry. He will examine your teeth to help determine the cause of your problem and come up with an effective solution. Give us a call today; we look forward to seeing you!
