Having sensitive teeth can dramatically limit what you can eat and drink on a daily basis without inducing discomfort. If you're going through this problem, you don't have to continue suffering without help. Dental technology can help you to put your sensitive teeth problems behind you for good. Here's what you should know.
What Laser Dentistry Is
The type of dentistry that's going to be helpful for your teeth is called laser dentistry. This is because instead of relying on tools like dental scalers and drills, laser dentistry uses a hyper-focused beam of light to perform dental procedures.
Laser dentistry can be used for a lot of different things, like removing dental decay, shortening gums, and, yes, helping with teeth sensitivity. But before explaining how it helps with sensitivity, it's important to understand what causes the sensitivity in the first place.
Why Teeth Are Sensitive
Unless you have an outstanding dental health problem like a cavity, the most likely cause of your dental sensitivity is that your dental enamel has been worn away.
Enamel is the hard shell of the tooth that's designed to keep out bacteria. When it's lost, not only does it put your oral health at risk, but it also induces sensitivity. This is because tiny little holes on the tooth's surface, called tubules, become exposed. These holes don't let in bacteria, but they allow efficient channeling of heat and cold. In other words, it's easier for extreme temperatures to impact the inside of your tooth, where the nerves are. This is why it hurts.
How It Helps
Dental sensitivity can be treated by keeping these tubules from acting as conduits for heat and cold. A similar technique is utilized when you use toothpaste designed for sensitive teeth; this type of toothpaste uses minerals to help plug up the tubules. However, this is a temporary solution and will only keep working if you use the toothpaste every day.
By comparison, laser dentistry's fix is permanent. Your dentist will use the extremely fine laser to essentially seal the tubules of your affected teeth. This will help to prevent heat and cold from reaching the inside of the tooth as efficiently, so you'll feel much more comfortable. Once the procedure is done, you shouldn't have to worry about those teeth becoming sensitive ever again unless you develop a major dental problem like a severe cavity.
Don't put off getting help any longer. Call a dentist specializing in laser dentistry to get help.