Tuesday, August 24, 2010

What Causes Sensitive Teeth?

Almost everyone, young and old alike, have suffered to some degree from the pain of sensitive teeth. And, whether it is sensitivity to cold liquids, hot liquids, cold air, sugary food, it is always an annoying and worrying thing indeed. However, what causes teeth to be sensitive in the first place? Does it mean that there is something wrong with them?

Not necessarily. Regardless of what has caused this to happen, almost all incidences of sensitive teeth are due to the exposure of the dentin, with is is the soft layer of your teeth that is usually safely protected by enamel, and having areas of your teeth that do not have enough enamel is not necessarily a cause for extreme alarm, much of the time. It really depends on what has caused the enamel to wear away in the first place that is the biggest concern.

For instance, receding gums, the first stage of gum disease, can often cause sensitive teeth, due to the lack of enamel on the part of the tooth that used to be protected by the gum. Receding gums should always be monitored, and can be minimized by such simple actions as consistent brushing and staying away from acidic foods and drinks.

Speaking of acidic foods and drinks, another common culprit for causing teeth to be sensitive is the over-consumption of acidic drinks like coffee, tea and especially sodas, which are high in both sugar (which can irritate teeth and increase sensitivity) and acid. So, if you are trying to get to the root of your sensitive teeth problem, cutting down on these sorts of beverages would be a great place to start.

Believe it or not, another common cause of sensitive teeth is brushing too hard! I know; to many this can seem a somewhat counter-intuitive proposition, but the fact of the matter is that if you use too stiff of a brush, or brush with too much force (which some of us might do because we are attempting in vain to make up for not brushing frequently enough), you are actually wearing the protective coating of enamel off of your teeth, which can make them quite sensitive indeed. So, be sure to buy a toothbrush with soft bristles, and gently and thoroughly brush often (instead of trying to make up for skipped brushing sessions all at once!). Brushing regularly will also help avoid plague build up, which can lead to gum disease, and then; you got it, more sensitive teeth!

Also, having your teeth whitened will often make them extremely sensitive for a certain amount of time after the treatments. Be sure to use a toothpaste designed for sensitive teeth during those times. In fact, some dentists have recently started recommending that all of their patients always use this type of toothpaste since it is especially formulated to be gentle to your teeth's enamel coating.

Other causes: overly acidic mouth washes (try to find one that doesn't have alcohol in it), grinding your teeth (dentists make special mouth gaurds that can help with this one) and dehydration (you guessed it: make sure you drink enough water!).

So, in nut shell, there is a whole cornocopia of potential causes for sensitive teeth, some of them more serious than others. No matter what, don't put off seeing your dentist and telling him or her about the problem. They are there to help you, and can usually quite easily pinpoint the cause of this annoying sort of discomfort. And, they even have special treatments that they can do that can often cut down your sensitivity right away whle you work on changing whatever habit you had that caused your teeth to become so sensitive in the first place.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

All About Dental Bridges

No matter how careful you are with your teeth, sometimes unforeseen things like accidents or even gum disease can lead to missing teeth. When this happens, there are several different methods that can be used to replace the tooth, the easiest and most relatively inexpensive being the use of a dental bridge.

Indeed, a dental bridge is the perfect solution for someone who has suffered the loss of a molar, and has two healthy teeth adjacent to the spot where the missing tooth was originally. In this scenario, your dentist will more than likely suggest the use of a dental bridge, using the aforementioned healthy teeth to hold the new replacement tooth (called a "pontic") in place. Depending on the given circumstances surrounding the place where the bridge will be installed, and the preference of the patient his or herself, dental bridges can either be temporary or permanent.

The permanent option requires that the adjacent teeth be altered considerably, so that they can be crowned (see last month's "The Lowdown on Dental Crowns") so that the bridge has something to attach to on either side of the installation, therefore holding the artificial tooth securly in place. Common materials for permanent bridges are gold, porcelain and even porcelain fused together with metals. There are also resin-bonded bridges, but these are only used in cases where patients have very healthy teeth, and where missing tooth is not located near the back of the mouth, where most of the chewing takes place. Indeed, this type of bridge is usually only used when front teeth are missing.

If, however, a temporary, or "Maryland" bridge is all that is required, there is a special method in which your dentist will affix the artificial tooth using "wings" that wrap around the rear and far sides of the adjacent teeth, essentially tying the fake tooth to the adjacent real ones on either side. Temporary bridges are, as the term denotes, far more temporary than permanent ones. They are more prone to breaking and having the "wings" come unglued from the sides of the adjacent real teeth. Plus, there is the unsightly metal "wings" themselves, and, although there are more natural looking plastic wings, they are considerably more expensive, and often do not last as long as the metal ones.

Just like having a crown installed, having a dental bridge put in usually requires two visits to your dentist's office. At the first appointment, your dentist will shape your adjacent teeth and take a mold of them, so that his or her laboratory can craft both the two crowns and one artificial tooth necessary for the assembly of the bridge. In the meantime, a temporary bridge will usually be installed to carry you through the usually week-long process of creating your dental bridge assembly.

The process of having a bridge installed is usually not a very painful one. In fact, the most common complaint people usual have is an increased sensitivity to the teeth that are adjacent to the artificial one, but this usually diminishes over time. However, if you experience any serious pain or discomfort after undergoing this common dental procedure, we would advise that you see your dentist immediately to make sure that all has, indeed, gone according to plan with your new dental bridge.