If you love ice cream but can't eat any because the cold is too much for your teeth, or you avoid soup because the heat gives you sharp pains in your mouth, you are experiencing sensitivity in your teeth. Sensitivity occurs when the enamel, the protective coating covering your teeth, starts to wear away. Enamel wearing happen naturally with time, but there are other things that could be creating the sensitivity in your teeth. This can be so uncomfortable as to affect a person's diet, their nutritional intake, and it may cause them to begin avoiding eating all together. A dentist in Portland OR can help you determine what is the caus of your enamel damage, and what you can do to stop it.
Brushing
Brushing your teeth too hard and too often could be causing you to lose the enamel that protects your teeth. Using a tooth brush that has bristles that are too hard can also cause this. You may want to show your Portland OR dentist how you brush, so they can make sure that you're doing so properly, and bring in the brush that you're using. The dentist may recommend that you use a different brush with different bristles, to help preserve the enamel on your teeth.
Products
The products that you use for brushing and rinsing may be causing the sensitivity. Many of these products will contain too much alcohol, and this starts to eat away at the enamel. There are special products on the market that are alcohol-free for those that don't like the sting and burn of alcohol. There are also products on the market that are designed just for people that have sensitive teeth. When choosing a product consult with your Portland OR dentist, and make sure that all of the items you're using are approved through the American Dental Association.
Diet
Diet has a large effect on the oral health. People eating foods that are high in acid, such as citrus fruits and dressings, can be doing a lot of damage to the teeth. Foods that are high in carbohydrates and sugar will also cause plaque that will eat away at the enamel of the teeth. Cleaning up your diet, along with using better products, can help get rid of the sensitivity problem. It may also be best for some people to brush within 20 minutes of eating their meals, instead of before, so the food doesn't have time to sit on the teeth.
Habits
Drinking alcohol on a regular basis, using any type of chewing tobacco products, biting your nails, grinding your teeth, and doing anything else that will scrape the surface of your teeth, or leave the surface exposed to chemicals is going to damage your enamel, and make your teeth sensitive. Bleaching your teeth often is going to erode the enamel quickly, and this can cause extreme sensitivity. A habit of chewing sugary gum could end up costing you hundreds in dental work, so it's best to try putting your bad habits behind you.
A Portland OR dentist can provide products that are going to harden any soft enamel you have on the teeth, and they can put a coating on the teeth to protect the existing enamel. This is going to help make the teeth less sensitive. You want to protect the enamel on the teeth the best you can, since this is the only enamel you have, and it can't be reproduced by the body. Sensitivity can cause a lot of pain, discomfort, and other health problems for patients, so it's best to seek professional attention before the problem gets severe.
Brushing
Brushing your teeth too hard and too often could be causing you to lose the enamel that protects your teeth. Using a tooth brush that has bristles that are too hard can also cause this. You may want to show your Portland OR dentist how you brush, so they can make sure that you're doing so properly, and bring in the brush that you're using. The dentist may recommend that you use a different brush with different bristles, to help preserve the enamel on your teeth.
Products
The products that you use for brushing and rinsing may be causing the sensitivity. Many of these products will contain too much alcohol, and this starts to eat away at the enamel. There are special products on the market that are alcohol-free for those that don't like the sting and burn of alcohol. There are also products on the market that are designed just for people that have sensitive teeth. When choosing a product consult with your Portland OR dentist, and make sure that all of the items you're using are approved through the American Dental Association.
Diet
Diet has a large effect on the oral health. People eating foods that are high in acid, such as citrus fruits and dressings, can be doing a lot of damage to the teeth. Foods that are high in carbohydrates and sugar will also cause plaque that will eat away at the enamel of the teeth. Cleaning up your diet, along with using better products, can help get rid of the sensitivity problem. It may also be best for some people to brush within 20 minutes of eating their meals, instead of before, so the food doesn't have time to sit on the teeth.
Habits
Drinking alcohol on a regular basis, using any type of chewing tobacco products, biting your nails, grinding your teeth, and doing anything else that will scrape the surface of your teeth, or leave the surface exposed to chemicals is going to damage your enamel, and make your teeth sensitive. Bleaching your teeth often is going to erode the enamel quickly, and this can cause extreme sensitivity. A habit of chewing sugary gum could end up costing you hundreds in dental work, so it's best to try putting your bad habits behind you.
A Portland OR dentist can provide products that are going to harden any soft enamel you have on the teeth, and they can put a coating on the teeth to protect the existing enamel. This is going to help make the teeth less sensitive. You want to protect the enamel on the teeth the best you can, since this is the only enamel you have, and it can't be reproduced by the body. Sensitivity can cause a lot of pain, discomfort, and other health problems for patients, so it's best to seek professional attention before the problem gets severe.
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