Tooth Sensitivity: Causes

What’s teeth sensitivity?

Tooth sensitivity is a common dental issue that includes discomfort or pain on your teeth when you have certain food or temperatures.

It’s estimated that around half of the population faces teeth sensitivity.

The pain of teeth sensitivity is often sharp and sudden, but it is temporary & it might reach into the tooth's nerve endings. However, teeth sensitivity can be treated and the issue can be improved. 

What causes of tooth sensitivity?

Teeth sensitivity can happen to anyone with no preferred of high-risk groups.

The most common symptom of sensitive teeth is presented as sharp and sudden pain that lasts temporarily when teeth are exposed to air, cold, hot, sweet or acidic food & drinks. In some cases, people might have teeth sensitivity from brushing their teeth so hard or using very aggressive techniques in brushing.

In healthy teeth, enamel isolate & protect the underlying dentin, which is softer than enamel and connected to the nerve that triggers pain in sensitive teeth.

Dentin contains thousands of microscopic tubules (like micro channels) reach the tooth's pulp, when the dentin is exposed to these elements, these tubules allow heat, cold, acidic or even sticky particles to reach the nerves inside the tooth, causing pain.

The tooth roots are protected by gums & surroundings bone. So, when the enamel gets worn down or the gum surrounding the tooth has recessions, the dentin becomes exposed to outer substances causing the tooth to be sensitive.