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By MIKE HAYNES 1,295 views
HEALTH

Learn How Good Oral Hygiene Prevents Tooth Sensitivity

A good smile comes from having your teeth in perfect health. However, you have to play your part to practice good hygiene to ensure your teeth stays in great condition. Tooth sensitivity ranges from mild irritation when eating or drinking hot, cold, or sweet beverages and foods to chronic pain. This is usually there regardless of whether you’re eating or drinking. Tooth sensitivity might arise from tooth decay after neglecting to mind your oral health. The condition is caused by other factors are you’re about to discover below.

What is tooth enamel

This is hard translucent external teeth cover. Enamel gives teeth strength to withstand regular use such as eating, biting, chewing, clenching, or grinding. The enamel also protects the interior parts of the tooth from penetration by bacteria and germs. Natural teeth wear down with as you age from wear and tear. However, enamel enhances the lifespan and usefulness of teeth regardless of the various circumstances it’s exposed to over the years.

Tooth enamel is among the strongest parts of the body but is prone to damage and poor effectiveness. Things that might compromise enamel include:

  • Trauma
  • harsh brushing
  • irregular cleaning
  • inadequate cleaning

Too much use of teeth bleaching agents might also weaken the enamel. Compromising the strong and protective barrier makes the tooth internal parts to become vulnerable. The sensitive part of the tooth is exposed to germs, bacteria, and air. Irritating and exposing the nerves inside the tooth leads to the teeth sensitivity. Compromised enamel promotes entry of bacteria and germs into the bloodstream exposing you to severe health complications.

Importance of good oral hygiene

Bolstering and strengthening tooth enamel requires good oral hygiene. A different case is when the tooth sensitivity is caused by weak enamel passed on from your parents. It pays to visit a family dentist for regular check up to discover anything that might cause tooth sensitivity. This should be backed by personal habits like regular brushing and flossing to eliminate germs, plaque, and bacteria from your teeth. Consider using quality fluoride toothpaste to boost enamel strength.

Not brushing or flossing your teeth makes food particles to become trapped in the mouth. These get attached to the teeth surface turning into plaque over time. The plaque emits chemicals that eat away tooth enamel making the nerves and blood vessels in the tooth exposed. In case the tooth pulp is affected, a dentist might do a root canal procedure to save the tooth. If you have naturally weak enamel, the dentist can recommend appropriate toothpaste to lessen the sensitivity.

How teeth grinding and jaw clenching lead to sensitivity

Do you occasionally grind your teeth or clench the jaw during periods of stress and frustration? Perhaps you have nighttime Bruxism and you grind teeth or clench the jaw unaware. You’re likely to experience teeth sensitivity. Jaw clenching and grinding teeth weaken and chips away enamel resulting from excessive force and pressure.

Tooth enamel is among the hardest body parts built to handle regular biting and chewing force. However, regular clenching of the jaw and grinding teeth is likely to damage the enamel. The excessive force and friction during the practice wears away layers of enamel. With time, the sensitive dentin layer underneath is exposed. The enamel might crack and the tooth fractured in extreme cases leading to teeth sensitivity.

Tooth structure

A tooth has multiple layers with the hardest being the enamel on the outside to protect the inside. Enamel gives a tooth the hardness that allows biting, chewing, and grinding plus its shape. The dentin layer is beneath the enamel with a faint yellow colour. This wraps around the tooth root and crown. The dentin layer has a dentinal tubule filled with fluid. The pulp is the innermost layer of a tooth containing the lymph vessels, blood vessels, and nerves. These vessels give the tooth appropriate nutrients. Tooth sensitivity requires urgent attention from a dentist to protect the dentin and the whole tooth.

Bottom line

Regular dental checkup and good oral hygiene is the solution to strong and healthy teeth. This will ensure that our teeth are less prone to cracking, chipping, breaking, damage, or scratching from decay. Scheduling an appointment with a dentist is strongly recommended whenever you or a family member feel tooth sensitivity.

Mike Haynes
Author
MIKE HAYNES

Mike Haynes is the executive Vice President of Machine shop. Prior to Machine shop,Mike Haynes is a writer has a deep knowledge about industrial growth,helped many business owners through his blogs.