With Halloween less than a week away, and the rest of the holiday season quickly approaching, there is no doubt that one thing is on everyone’s mind — eating! Of course, the more we eat and drink, the more we need to make sure we are cleaning our teeth properly to make sure cavities and other dental issues do not occur.

Most people do not realize they have a dental issue or emergency until they begin to feel some kind of sensitivity or pain. Tooth sensitivity is not something that should be taken lightly. It’s a common fact that sensitive teeth are a window to other problems down the line.

There are several reasons someone may experience sensitivity in their teeth. Most think that when they have sensitivity, it’s because there is a cavity that needs to filled. While that is not necessarily false, there are many other factors that could be causing this.

One major reason people may experience sensitivity is because of grinding or clenching. Now, I know what you are already thinking — “I don’t grind or clench my teeth at night!” I know you are thinking this because it’s exactly what I was thinking when I was told that I grind my teeth. I was having awful sensitivity in most of my teeth. I didn’t wake up with a tired jaw, so it didn’t even dawn on me that I was grinding. However, once it was shown to me the wear that was on my teeth, it was pretty clear that there was a grinding issue.

I began using a niteguard when I slept, and within a month, all the sensitivity had gone away. A niteguard is a small appliance that one wears on their upper or lower teeth. It absorbs the friction from grinding your teeth, protecting them from losing any enamel due to the grinding. This keeps your teeth strong, healthy, and most importantly — sensitivity free! If the issue is not grinding, but clenching, there is another appliance that can be made for you, which is called an NTI. An NTI device rests on your front teeth, and prevents you from clencing down on your teeth, giving you the relief you need from not only the sensitivity the clencing will likely cause, but relief for your jaw as well.

Sensitive teeth due to grinding or cleching can usually be fixed with a small dental appliance, but it is also possible that a problem like this could be TMJ related as well. This is something Dr. Silva can evaluate for, to make sure that the sensitivity isn’t because of a bite issue.

We have seen patients that feel their sensitivity is because they brush their teeth too hard. This is definitely a possibility, but not normally the main reason someone is probably experiencing sensitivity. Typically, you would need to be a very aggressive brusher to wear off the enamel from your teeth. However, if you do feel that you are brushing too hard, there are several things you can do to correct this. The first would be to bush a toothbrush with a soft or very soft head. This will ensure that if you ARE brushing roughly, this will minimize the damage caused. Second, you can try holding your toothbrush with only your index finger, middle finger and thumb, all the way at the end. This will help make sure you cannot apply too much force.

Sometimes sensitive teeth are more serious than toothbrush abrasion, grinding or clenching, or a possible cavitiy. It is possible that the sensitivity could be causing something a little more serious, like a root canal. If you have been experiencing tooth sensitivity or pain for a period of days with no relief, it’s extremely important that you see the dentist, since it could be a bigger problem than you think. Dr. Silva can evaluate the tooth/teeth to see if they need further treatment, like a root canal.

The bottom line is that sensitive teeth are not something to simply disregard because you feel nothing has changed with your oral health. If you are experiencing sensitive teeth, you should see your dentist and explain what you have been feeling. It may be possible to fix the problem quickly, with a fluoride treatment or the diagnosis of a niteguard. However, it could be something more serious, that will need to be treated in a timely fashion.

So enjoy the holiday season as it approaches. Eat your Halloween candy, just don’t forget to brush and floss!