Sensitive Teeth
The common causes of sensitive teeth, what helps at home, and when it's a sign of something that needs treatment.
Why Are My Teeth Sensitive?
Teeth usually become sensitive when the softer layer under the enamel, called dentine, is exposed. That happens through worn enamel, receding gums, grinding, acidic food and drink, or a crack or cavity, and whitening causes temporary sensitivity too. For most people, a sensitive toothpaste used twice a day helps within two to four weeks. If sensitivity is sharp, lingers after the trigger has gone, or affects one tooth, see a dentist, because it can mean a crack, decay or a nerve problem. At St Vincent Smile in Finnieston, Glasgow, an examination is £70.
Why Teeth Become Sensitive
Enamel, the hard outer layer of a tooth, has no feeling. Underneath it is dentine, which is softer and full of tiny tubes running towards the nerve in the centre of the tooth. When dentine is exposed, cold, heat, sweet things or even a breath of air can move the fluid in those tubes, and the nerve reads that as a short, sharp twinge. That's the classic sensitive-tooth feeling: quick, triggered by something, and gone as soon as the trigger has.
Dentine is normally covered by enamel on the crown of the tooth and by gum on the root. Anything that wears the enamel away or shrinks the gum back uncovers it. Sensitivity that lasts after the trigger has gone, or that comes on by itself, is different and usually means the nerve itself is inflamed.
What Causes Sensitive Teeth?
- Worn enamel, from brushing too hard with a stiff brush, or from grinding and clenching, which flattens the biting edges
- Receding gums exposing the root, which has no enamel to protect it. Often from gum disease, or from years of hard brushing
- Acidic food and drink, such as fizzy drinks, fruit juice, wine and vinegar-based dressings, which soften enamel so it wears more easily. Acid reflux does the same from the inside
- A cracked tooth, a worn or leaking filling, or decay, which usually affect one tooth rather than several
- Whitening, which causes temporary sensitivity while you're using the gel
- A recent filling or crown, which can leave a tooth sensitive to cold for a few days or weeks as it settles
Several of these often work together. Someone who grinds, drinks a lot of fizzy water and scrubs their teeth hard is wearing enamel from three directions at once.
One Tooth Especially Sensitive?
Book an examination and we'll find the cause.
What Helps at Home?
- Brush twice a day with a sensitive toothpaste, and spit rather than rinse, so the active ingredient stays on your teeth. Give it two to four weeks to work
- Rub a little sensitive toothpaste onto the sensitive area with a fingertip last thing at night, and leave it
- Use a soft brush and gentle pressure. Angle it towards the gum line and use small movements rather than scrubbing. An electric toothbrush with a pressure sensor helps if you press too hard
- Have acidic drinks with meals rather than sipping them through the day, use a straw, and rinse with water afterwards
- Wait an hour before brushing after anything acidic, because softened enamel wears more easily
- Use a fluoride mouthwash at a different time from brushing
If the sensitivity is from whitening, our whitening sensitivity guide explains what to do. It settles within a few days of stopping.
When Should I See a Dentist?
Most sensitivity is harmless and settles with the steps above. See us if:
- One tooth is sharply sensitive, rather than several
- Pain lingers after the cold or sweet has gone, or starts on its own
- It hurts to bite or let go on a particular tooth, which can mean a crack
- You can see a hole, a dark spot or a broken filling
- Your gums have receded noticeably, or bleed
- A sensitive toothpaste hasn't helped after a month
These can be signs of a crack, decay, a leaking filling or an inflamed nerve, and the earlier they're treated the simpler the treatment. A routine examination is £70, or £70 with X-rays if you're new to us, and both are included in our dental plans. If a tooth is keeping you awake, call us on 0141 248 1183; we keep same-day appointments for pain.
How Can We Treat It?
Treatment depends on the cause, which is why we examine the tooth and take an X-ray where needed rather than guessing.
| Cause | Usual treatment |
|---|---|
| Exposed dentine on several teeth | Sensitive toothpaste, better brushing technique, and a protective fluoride varnish painted onto the sensitive areas |
| Exposed root from gum recession | A small tooth-coloured filling bonded over the root, from £105 |
| Worn or leaking filling, or decay | A new filling, from £118 on a back tooth |
| Grinding or clenching | A custom night guard, £210 |
| Cracked tooth | An onlay or crown to hold it together, from £675 |
| Inflamed or infected nerve | Root canal treatment, from £450 |
| Gum disease causing recession | Hygiene visits and gum treatment with our dental therapists |
Fees are confirmed in a written plan before anything is done, and dental plan members save 10% on most treatment.2
Sensitivity After a Filling or Crown
It's common for a tooth to be sensitive to cold for a few days or weeks after a filling, crown or onlay, as the nerve settles down after treatment. This usually fades on its own. Two things aren't normal and are worth a call: pain when you bite that doesn't ease, which can mean the new filling is slightly high and needs a quick adjustment, and sensitivity that's getting worse rather than better after a couple of weeks. Both are easily checked, and a bite adjustment takes a few minutes. Very occasionally a deep filling close to the nerve goes on to need root canal treatment, which is why we'd rather you told us than put up with it.
Keeping Sensitivity Away
Once the cause is treated, keeping sensitivity away is mostly about protecting enamel and gum.
- Keep using a sensitive or fluoride toothpaste, and keep spitting rather than rinsing
- Replace your toothbrush or brush head every three months, and keep it soft
- Keep acidic drinks to mealtimes, and don't brush straight after them
- Wear your night guard if you've been given one. Grinding undoes the benefit of everything else
- Keep your hygiene visits, so recession and gum disease are caught early. Our gum care guide has the full routine
- Tell us if you have acid reflux or are often sick, because stomach acid wears enamel quickly, and we can help protect your teeth
Questions
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.