The upcoming high school reunion is coming up, and you want to make a great impression on your old friends. You notice that there are a few tooth stains that need some touch-ups, so teeth whitening seems like a great option to finally clear those blemishes out.
You schedule your cosmetic appointment with Bridge Creek Dental (of course), but as you sip your hot cup of coffee, you remember you have been dealing with severe tooth sensitivity problems lately.
You look online and notice that other patients have dealt with increased tooth sensitivity following the procedure. Is it smart for you to risk increasing your tooth sensitivity to be the talk of the reunion? We would say yes—and you may not have to deal with extra sensitivity at all.
Understanding Tooth Sensitivity
Before we begin, let us make sure that you are definitely dealing with tooth sensitivity. Tooth sensitivity, also known as dentin hypersensitivity, occurs when the inner layer of your smile, called the dentin, becomes exposed. The dentin can come from a wide variety of sources such as brushing too hard or from gradual dental decay.
Tooth sensitivity can cause your teeth to either sting or feel sensitive while you’re eating or drinking hot or cold foods. For example, oven-hot foods or piping hot drinks tend to cause discomfort for patients. You may also feel pain while you are brushing or flossing.
If you’re not sure whether you are dealing with tooth sensitivity, give our office a call. We can quickly scan your teeth to diagnose you with the condition.
Ruling Out Other Possibilities
Some individuals may deal with chronic tooth sensitivity while others may have accidentally provoked it themselves. These are a few causes that your tooth sensitivity may be attributed to:
- Recent Dental Procedures: Some patients may experience a wave of sensitivity after getting previous dental work done. If you are worried about tooth sensitivity and you recently had dental work, perhaps try to wait till the symptoms wear away.
- Bruxism: Bad habits such as teeth grinding, also known as bruxism, could be causing your tooth sensitivity. This habit causes constant strain on your teeth’s enamel, making it hard to withstand adverse conditions such as hot or cold foods.
- Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD): The temporomandibular joint connects your jaw to the rest of your mouth. When this part of your body becomes dysfunctional, it may cause trouble with your smile. Try our TMD equipment to help relieve this pain.
- Gum Recession: If your teeth seem to appear strong and healthy, the next place we tend to focus on is your gums. Gum recession occurs when your gumline starts to detach from your teeth.
If you have concerns about ongoing teeth sensitivity, call your dentist right away.
Bridge Creek Dental’s Sensitivity Relief Plan
Bridge Creek Dental is happy to offer teeth whitening products that are known to minimize the risk of additional tooth sensitivity. In particular, our KöR teeth whitening products have an exceptional rate of keeping sensitivity to a minimum.
These products have a specific ingredient in the whitening solution that resists seeping into the dentin of your teeth. There still might be a possibility the dentin might be inflamed, but this product is optimized to work around this condition. This procedure helps patients receive a beautiful smile while not having to worry as much about tooth sensitivity.
Remove Tough Stains With Teeth Whitening
Bridge Creek Dental is highly trained in helping patients move through challenges that are holding them back from the perfect smile; including tooth sensitivity. Give our Billings, MT, office a call to see how teeth whitening can help improve your smile.