Sensitivity
Symptoms
WHY ARE MY TEETH SENSITIVE TO HOT AND COLD?
If you’ve felt a short sharp twinge when you take a sip of a cold drink, eat an ice cream or a bowl of soup, or even when you breathe in cold air on a winter’s day, then it could be a sign that you have tooth sensitivity.
Your teeth become sensitive to cold and hot when the softer, inner part of the tooth called ‘dentine’ becomes exposed. This can happen if you have gum disease, as this can lead to receding gums, or if enamel wears away. Dentine is full of tiny channels that run towards the nerve at the centre of the tooth. This is why, when you eat or drink something cold or hot, it can stimulate the nerve inside and cause a nasty twinge.1
WHY ARE MY TEETH SENSITIVE TO SUGAR?
Cold and hot foods aren’t the only triggers that can cause tooth sensitivity. Your teeth can be sensitive to sweets and other sugary foods, as well as sour food and drinks and you may experience that familiar short, sharp sensation when you eat sweet or sour flavours. This is due to the same reason that your teeth are sensitive to temperature changes, they can stimulate the nerve inside the tooth.
There are other reasons your teeth may be sensitive to cold, hot, sweet or sour foods:
- If you have a cracked tooth, this can also affect the nerve deep inside the tooth and make you sensitive to the things you eat and drink, causing pain.2
- Your teeth may be sensitive to heat and cold after a new filling.
- You may experience tooth sensitivity after tooth whitening treatments.
If your teeth hurt when you eat and drink something cold, hot, sweet or sour, then you should visit your dentist to identify the cause of your pain.
If you are looking for an effective way to help relieve the pain of sensitivity, Sensodyne is the DENTIST RECOMMENDED brand for sensitive teeth. For fast relief Sensodyne Rapid Relief works in 60 seconds* so you can get back to eating and drinking without worrying about those unpleasant twinges.3
*When used as directed on pack
¹WebMD. 2018. When Heat and Cold Hurt Your Teeth. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/features/case-sensitive. [Accessed 08 November 2019].
²American Dental Association. 2003. Do you have a cracked tooth?. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Publications/Files/patient_25.pdf?la=en. [Accessed 08 November 2019].
³Mason S, Hughes N, Sufi F, Bannon L, Maggio B, North M, Holt J. A Comparative Clinical Study Investigating the Efficacy of a Dentifrice Containing 8% Strontium Acetate and 1040 ppm Fluoride in a Silica Base and a Control Dentifrice Containing 1450 ppm Fluoride in a Silica Base to Provide Immediate Relief of Dentin Hypersensitivity. The Journal of Clinical Dentistry. 2010; 21(2): 42-48.
