By
Nadia Stennett
Because sensitive chompers need a little bit of
TLC…
When the pain and
discomfort of tooth sensitivity hits, it’s hard to ignore. Sensitive teeth have
the ability to ruin an otherwise enjoyable meal or night out with friends. And
if you’re not informed, you could be unknowingly making yourself even more
susceptible to a world of dental agony.
Thankfully, with a little
care, it is possible to get on with your life, without aching teeth getting in
the way.
Here are four things you
should give a miss to improve your tooth sensitivity, starting today.
1. Hot or
cold food
“Sensitive teeth are
usually thermally reactive, so eating very hot or cold things like hot soups
and ice-blocks will set them off,” explains dentist, Dr Alexander McEwen.
However, if you’re not keen
to bid farewell to ice cream and hot chocolate just yet, you can try using a
specialised sensitive teeth toothpaste to help protect your enamel and decrease
your sensitivity. A recent study in the Journal of Dental Sciences found
regular brushing with toothpaste formulated for sensitive teeth is highly
effective for preventing the pain of thermal reaction in most people.
2.
Anything sugary
If you’re one of the many
people suffering from tooth sensitivity due to cavities and tooth erosion, the
last thing you want to do is eat anything laden with sugar. Not only does sugar
have the potential to cause more cavities and get stuck inside existing ones,
leading to irritation, it’s also the perfect food for bacteria, who will have a
field day on it and attack your already tender teeth in the process.
“It’s very common for
sensitive teeth to react to sweet foods, especially if tooth decay is present.
I recommend choosing lower sugar foods like fruits and vegetables instead,”
says McEwen.
3. Acidic
drinks
“Acidic drinks like fruit
juice, diet soft drink and wine can dissolve the tooth structure and expose
more dentine, leaving you susceptible to increasing pain,” explains McEwen.
But it’s not all bad news.
You can still enjoy the occasional acidic drink by using a straw, which will
allow the liquid to bypass your teeth, and your enamel to remain untouched in
the process.
4. Tooth
Grinding
Otherwise known as bruxism,
tooth grinding typically happens at night when you’re asleep, or when you’re
least aware you’re doing it, and it’s estimated up to70 per cent of all cases
of it are a result of stress, which can play havoc with your entire body.
“Tooth wear caused from
regular teeth grinding can lead to more dentine exposure and overload teeth,
making them even more sensitive, so it’s essential to get on top of it,”
advises McEwen.
Try reducing your stress
load by allowing yourself some time out each day. And if your teeth grinding
still doesn’t ease up you can ask your dentist about a bed-time mouth guard to
help.
