Tooth Sensitivity: Remedies and Treatment

The area of your teeth above the gum line is coated with a layer of protective enamel. The roots beneath your gum line are kept safe with a substance called cementum. Beneath the enamel and cementum is the dentin. This is not as dense as the protective layers. As and when the enamel or cementum wears out or becomes damaged, it uncovers the dentin, causing tooth sensitivity.

 

Some well-known remedies

When it comes to tooth sensitivity remedies, oil pulling through sesame or coconut oil can help. Further, chewing guava leaves or applying a topical gel which has guava leaf extract could also help decrease tooth sensitivity and discomfort. Many people, especially in the earlier generations, have used clove oil as a home remedy for tooth irritation. A saltwater rinse is another alternative when fighting bacteria in the mouth, and it can help promote oral hygiene.

 

Getting professional help

If you want to know how to treat sensitive teeth, your best move would be to consult a dentist and have the issue addressed immediately. Your dentist may suggest a fluoride gel treatment, which can strengthen your current tooth enamel. Other treatments could involve a crown, inlay, or bonding, depending on the issue. If you have lost gum tissue from the root, your dentist might suggest a surgical gum graft to cover up the roots, thus shielding the roots from certain stimuli.

 

Desensitising the dentine layer

Dentin is a tough, spongy tissue that lies under the coating of enamel. A desensitising toothpaste has agents that can change the dentin and make it less permeable. Desensitising dental mediators include oxalates, metal ions and potassium. Most dentists will recommend that you should use a desensitising toothpaste that has potassium. In some studies, oxalate extracts from rhubarb and spinach applied to dentine discs that were taken from human molars showed that these extracts could help ease tooth sensitivity.

 

How to prevent it from recurring?

If you have been wondering about how to treat sensitive teeth, it starts with certain measures that you can do at home. For example, just like we have all heard from childhood, it is important and necessary to brush teeth twice a day, using desensitising toothpaste. Further, flossing once a day can help in preventing plaque formation in the tiny spaces between your teeth. Finally, following a diet that is quite low on acidic foods and beverages also goes a long way in preventing sensitive teeth. All these combined together are recommended tooth sensitivity remedies.