Do Your Teeth Feel Increasingly More Sensitive?

Sensitive teeth are most often a warning sign of something potentially serious developing with your oral health. However, when teeth first become sensitive, it’s often a minor feeling that, while uncomfortable, may not seem like a serious concern. When the sensitivity is ignored, the cause behind it can have time to grow worse, and as a result, so can the discomfort in and around your teeth. Today, we examine a few reasons why your teeth might feel sensitive, and why talking to your dentist about it as soon as possible could help you avoid more serious discomfort and oral health concerns.

What causes your teeth to feel sensitive?

Tooth sensitivity isn’t always the same as aching in a single tooth. It often means that one or more of your teeth are sensitive to stimulation, such as pressure or hot and cold temperatures. Unlike a toothache, the sensitivity may not be highly noticeable at first, and because it isn’t centered on a single tooth, it can be difficult to pinpoint its exact location. The more generalized and widespread feeling of sensitivity may indicate the cause of the discomfort, which is often related to the recession of your gums and the exposure of your teeth’s more sensitive roots.

What it means when the sensitivity gets worse

Like most oral health concerns, any sensitivity in your teeth will continue to grow worse if you ignore the condition or postpone having it addressed. For example, if the cause of your sensitive teeth is the recession of your gum tissues, then this recession can grow more severe and expose more of your teeth roots over time. As the condition worsens, the pulling away of your gums can significantly increase your risks of developing gum disease, which occurs when oral bacteria gather in the pockets created between your teeth roots and gum tissues.

Alleviate the sensitivity and threat to your smile

If your teeth become sensitive, then visiting your dentist for a professional examination is the only way to know for sure the specific cause of it, and how to alleviate it. For instance, if gum recession is the cause of your tooth sensitivity, then appropriate treatment can help restore the health and integrity of your gums and their ability to protect your teeth roots. This can also lower your risks of developing gum disease and requiring more involved, ongoing periodontal maintenance later.

Learn how to stop your teeth from getting sensitive

If your teeth feel sensitive, then find out why and how to address it before they start to hurt worse. To learn more, schedule an appointment by calling Allen & Neumann Family Dentistry in Pella, IA, today at (641) 628-1121.