Why are my teeth sensitive?
By: Dr. Heather Hradek
‘Why are my teeth sensitive?’ There are more answers than you might think! Let’s explore the various reasons that your teeth might be sensitive, but first let’s discuss the anatomy of the teeth! The part of the teeth we see in your mouth are covered by enamel, which is the hard outer covering. Enamel is actually harder than your bones and provides insulation to the underlying layer of the tooth, dentin, which is made of tubules that connect to the pulp or nerve chamber in the center of the tooth. When the enamel becomes thinned, broken, or penetrated, the irritants from sugar, acid, or temperature can reach those tubules and affect the nerve. How do they penetrate it in the first place?
1) Cavities- The most obvious answer everyone thinks of is cavities. The bacteria in our mouth eat the sugars in our mouth and their byproduct is acid, which dissolves the minerals in the enamel. Over time, this creates a hole in the tooth that allows that underlying dentin to become exposed to the various elements in our mouth. Once a small hole breaks through the hard enamel, the dentin is softer, so the cavities grow at an elevated rate and the only way to stop them is through dental intervention.
2) Gum Recession- enamel covers most of the tooth structure we see in our mouth… but it doesn’t extend onto the roots. Our root structure is covered by cementum, which is softer than enamel and can be worn away more easily. When our gums recede or pull down over time due to aggressive brushing or poor tooth alignment and wear, that cementum and subsequently the dentin can become exposed, leading to sensitivity.
3) Cracked, chipped, or fractured teeth- Anything that can break away that enamel, from a traumatic break from a baseball to a microfracture on the biting surface, can allow the underlying dentin to be exposed and create sensitivity.
4) Grinding- Many of our patients that we mention that we notice signs of grinding don’t even realize it! Just because your partner hasn’t mentioned you grind during your sleep, we can see wear facets from that tooth on tooth wear that can thin the enamel or wear away completely over time, leading to sensitivity.
5) Tooth whitening- There are a lot of various whitening products out there, but the reason they work is that they leach through the enamel to the dentin to lighten the dentin. Enamel is very light to clear, so when our teeth are yellow, it’s the underlying dentin that is actually darker and what we are trying to lighten through whitening… however the dentin is what can cause sensitivity as well.
6) Orthodontics- When we are straightening teeth, we are actually moving them through bone to get them to their ideal position. To do this, we are breaking down bone on one side of the tooth and building it up on the other, which is why your teeth are sensitive.
Are you having sensitivity in any of your teeth? There are various solutions to getting rid of your sensitivity, but first we have to diagnose what is causing the sensitivity in the first place. Call today at (219)929-9289 to schedule your visit so we can figure it out together!
Chesterton Family Dental is the general dental office of Dr. Mystie Pieters, Dr. Heather Hradek, and Dr. Robert Pieters providing comprehensive dental care for the entire family.