Have you ever had tooth sensitivities when you eat or drink something? There are a variety of causes: https://www.verywellhealth.com/dentin-definition-of-dentin-1059420
The normal part of aging includes some gum recession. When you add certain stresses to your mouth or body, the recession can get to the point where the root of the tooth is exposed. Over time, food, drink, infections, and mechanical stresses can erode that area, which increases the chance for cavities, infection, or even tooth loss.
Depending on the situation, you wouldn’t want an issue to worsen, or even start if you can prevent it.
Now that you’ve seen the anatomy of the tooth, here are some corrective measures:
- Building up the tooth enamel and dentin
- Minimize intake of acidic foods – If you do eat them, rinse your mouth right after eating so the acid doesn’t sit on your teeth. Also, wait 30 minutes before brushing.
- Change your toothbrush or the method in which you brush
- Stop using a toothpaste with fluoride, which is a toxic substance, and switch to a toothpaste with hydroxyapatite, which builds enamel/dentin…..use AM and PM and keep the toothpaste in your mouth for several minutes before rinsing, which gives the chemical time to work. I use Boka. See chart below:
| Ingredient purpose | (recommended) Boka Natural Toothpaste Lemon lavender 4 oz/$12 | David’s Sensitive + Whitening Premium Charcoal 5.25 oz/$10 (a lot of mint oils) | (recommended) Rise Well Natural Hydroxy Mineral Toothpaste no flavor 3.4 oz/$12 | Dr. Brite Healthy Gums 5 oz/$12 (the most hydroxy) (a lot of mint oils but not strong) | Twice Oral Wellness Toothpaste 3.4 oz/$11 (not as much hydroxy as Boka) |
| Abrasive | Hydrated silica | calcium carbonate; Hydrated silica | calcium carbonate; Hydrated silica | calcium carbonate; Hydrated silica | Hydrated silica |
| Detergent – removes plaque | Sodium bicarb | Sodium bicarb | azadirachta indica | Sodium bicarb | |
| Anti-bacterial/anti-inflammatory | Xylitol | Xylitol | Xylitol | thymus vulgaris; Xylitol; vit. C | Vit. A/C/E; baking soda |
| Sweetener | Stevia | Stevia | Stevia; rebaudioside A | Stevia | Xylitol |
| Whitener | Charcoal | Charcoal; baking soda; Titanium dioxide* | |||
| Tartar reduction | Titanium dioxide* | ||||
| other | MSM; aloe | aloe |
*Titanium dioxide – irritates teeth and gums
If your gums are already irritated/inflamed, don’t use anything with peppermint, or mint in general, as that will also irritate the gums. Use a Water Pik to remove lodged food particles from teeth/gums.
- Gum recession correction
- If you have significant abfractions, a skilled dentist can apply composite bonding material (same as what is used to fill a cavity) over the exposed root. I had this done and my teeth sensitivities went away totally. Best if the dentist will apply this up into the gum line and not just on the visible portion of the tooth. That will require a local anesthetic but the results will be much better. For the average person, composites should last at least 10 yrs. or more.
- For significant recession, gum grafting is the best. I had this. They take a skin graft from the roof of your mouth and place it at the base of the tooth/teeth. Well worth having this procedure, even though the post-procedure is intense. Several years ago I had one side of my lower teeth done and then the other a little later. That was manageable and back to work the next day. But recently I needed to do it again (recession again probably due to Invisalign later in life and use of oral natural hormone replacement). This time the periodontist did the entire lower teeth at the same time. THAT was intense! SO important to follow the post-operative care to the letter, which includes frequent use of ice packs, sleeping with your head elevated, etc. Again, worth it.