Tips for sensitive teeth
While wearing Invisalign aligners, your teeth can become sensitive and painful. There are many different levels of sensitivity from anything from a mild twinge to having severe discomfort for several hours. If your teeth start feeling sensitive then it is time to do something about your oral health.
What causes sensitive teeth?
Sensitivity can be caused by loss of tooth enamel. The less tooth enamel there is the less your tooth is protected. There are a number of different causes of sensitivity. The main causes are:
- Brushing too hard
- Dental erosion
- Loss of tooth enamel
- Gums naturally receding
- Cracked tooth or filling
- Teeth bleaching and whitening
Change how you brush
With one of the main causes of sensitivity being brushing too hard, the first step to make is buying yourself a new softer brush. Another step is to not brush too vigorously; this will wear away the substance called Cementum, which protects the roots of your teeth.
Use toothpaste for sensitive teeth
There are multiple toothpastes for sensitive teeth on the market. Any of these will do the trick. You must remember that you will still need to brush your teeth twice every day to make sure the toothpaste has it’s full effect. If during the day your teeth begin to feel a little sensitive then you can rub a little of the toothpaste onto the sensitive area. Do not get too excessive with using this toothpaste and never put any in your aligner, as this will ruin them.
Fluoride
Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral found in water in varying amounts. The main benefit to fluoride is helping to reduce the risk of tooth decay.
Fluoride will help protect your teeth by encouraging better quality enamel to form that’s more resistant to acid attack. With children it can change the structure of developing enamel, making it more resistant to acid attack. These changes will occur if a child consumes fluoride during the time enamel develops, which is up to the age of seven.
Not only can you find fluoride in water but also it has been put into many oral products such as toothpastes and for a higher amount of fluoride, in a gel your dentist can brush onto your teeth.
Watch what you eat
Diet is another cause of sensitive teeth. Sugary foods and drinks along with hot and cold drinks can irritate sensitive teeth, making the problem even worse. If you can cut out acidic food and drinks this will help to reduce the risk of tooth decay resulting in sensitivity.
If your teeth are continually being sensitive then the best option is to go to your dentist and discuss what they believe would be the best treatment for you. This could be from prescribing your some fluoride toothpaste or giving you a fluoride gel coating when you leave.