- Bacteria build-up from poor oral hygiene can cause enamel erosion and decay.
- Brushing too hard or with a toothbrush with hard bristles.
- Eating or drinking highly acidic foods such as soft drinks or energy drinks.
- Grinding your teeth while you sleep.
Understanding Tooth Sensitivity
Many millions of people suffer from tooth sensitivity at some point in their life, usually in the form of tooth pain in reaction to heat or cold. Tooth sensitivity has many causes, some more easily fixed than others. However, it’s important to know that tooth sensitivity is sometimes a sign of a more serious dental problem of condition. What follows are the basics of what you should know about having sensitive teeth.
First, we need to have an understanding of how teeth are constructed. The hard, shiny outer layer of your teeth is called enamel. This layer protects the softer, porous layer below, which is called dentin. On the part of your tooth that is rooted in your gums, the dentin is protected by a thin, hard layer called cementum. Inside the center of your tooth is the root canal, which contains a substance called the pulp, made up of nerves and blood vessels.
Tooth pain or sensitivity occurs when dentin is somehow exposed and heat or cold is able to penetrate through it and irritate your tooth’s nerve. Wearing away of enamel and cementum, along with receding gums, can cause dentin to become exposed.
You can wear away enamel a few ways: