Taking a sip of a cold beverage only to have an intense pain shoot up one of your teeth can be scary. This sensitivity can keep you from enjoying not only delicious treats like ice cream and smoothies, but even everyday items like water and chilled fruit. There are many possible reasons for sudden sensitivity to cold; here's a look at a few of the most common.
A loose or damaged filling
Does the tooth that feels sensitive have a filling in it? If so, there's a good chance that filling has begun to come loose or that a small piece has chipped off of it. The cold beverage is coming into contact with nerve endings that were once protected by the filling.
Unless the filling falls out completely, it's hard to tell by looking at it whether it's in good shape. So make an appointment with your dentist; they can take some x-rays and examine your tooth with a special laser light to determine whether the filling needs repair or replacement.
A chipped tooth
Think back over the last day or two. Do you remember biting into anything hard and feeling a cracking sensation? Did you hit your head or mouth on anything? It's possible that you chipped or cracked your tooth, exposing some sensitive nerve endings. Once again, you'll often need a dentist to detect this problem.
Gum Disease
Usually when sensitivity is associated with gum disease, it comes on slowly. However, it's possible that your gum disease has progressively become worse and only now reached the point of causing sensitivity. The sensitivity arises because the gums peel away from the base of your tooth where the nerve endings are close to the surface.
Take a good, hard look at your gums. Are they swollen or red? Do they bleed when you brush your teeth or floss? If so, you probably have gum disease. Kick your oral hygiene routine into high gear for a week. Brush as thoroughly as possible and after every meal. Remember to floss daily, and use an antiseptic mouthwash once, if not twice, per day. If the sensitivity does not go away, then it's time to see your dentist. More advanced treatments like antibiotics and gum grafts may be required to improve your gum health and ease the discomfort. For more information on gum disease treatments, contact a location like Periodontal Specialists.
If you're experiencing sudden sensitivity to cold, do not panic. This can be uncomfortable, but it's almost always caused by a condition that's easily fixed -- if not at home, then in the dentist's chair.
Share20 January 2017
When the bottled water craze began, I jumped on the bandwagon with everyone else who was drinking water from bottles instead of from the tap. I wasn't sure why bottled water was healthier, but I liked the taste. When I went for my next dental check-up, I had my first cavity in a while, so I had it filled and didn't think much of it. Well, I had two more during my next check-up after that, and I began trying to think of why my teeth were suddenly going bad. The only change in my habits was the switch to bottled water, so I made the switch back to tap water and my teeth began to improve. I created this blog to encourage others who have begun getting cavities suddenly to look into their changes in habits. They may find they made a change similar to mine.