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Sensitive Teeth Causes

Causes of Sensitivity

Causes of Sensitivity

What Causes Sensitive Teeth?1

Knowing a bit more about the structure of your teeth will help you understand sensitive teeth causes.

Your teeth are made up of three layers:

  • The outer layer, called the enamel, is the strongest.
  • The core of the tooth is dentine, which is softer and contains millions of tiny holes.
  • The deepest part of the tooth is called the pulp. This contains the nerves at the centre of the tooth.

The short, sharp twinge of tooth sensitivity pain is caused when the soft dentine inside your tooth becomes exposed, revealing the tiny holes inside it. These holes are the openings to channels that run through your dentine straight to the centre of the tooth where the nerve is. When you eat or drink something cold, hot, sweet or sour, this stimulus can travel through the holes and stimulate the nerve, resulting in the short, sharp sensation of tooth sensitivity pain.

What Causes Sensitive Teeth?

 

Why Do My Teeth Feel Sensitive?

There are two main reasons your dentine can become exposed and cause sensitive teeth:

  • Gum recession – which is usually caused by gum disease or brushing too hard.
  • Enamel wear – the hard enamel on the outside of your teeth can wear away over time if you brush too hard and frequently consume acidic drinks and food throughout the day.

If you are concerned about tooth sensitivity you should ask your dentist about it. A dental professional can tell if you have sensitive teeth and offer advice on how best to treat it.

 

If your teeth are sensitive, brushing twice daily with a Sensodyne toothpaste can help. Sensodyne is the NO.1 DENTIST RECOMMENDED brand for sensitive teeth. For fast relief, Sensodyne Rapid Action is clinically proven to relieve sensitivity pain in just 60 seconds*, so you can get back to eating and drinking without worrying about those unpleasant twinges. There is a full range of Sensodyne Toothpastes to choose from so, you can find the one that best suits your needs.

 

*With dab on application
¹Why do I get sensitive teeth? MoA Master Long script

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