Hyperesthesia

The concept of hyperesthesia means tooth sensitivity, which is familiar to many of us. It means those painful sensations that appear when, for example, we eat something sour (apple, lemon), ice cream (and other cold foods or drinks), sweet (icing, chocolate, marmalade), or something hot.  That is, it can be different stimuli, which differ in a certain temperature or acidity, and in contact with the enamel of the teeth provoke discomfort that lasts for a couple of seconds on average, and can be localized in the region of one or several teeth, or it seems that the whole dentition hurts. Often, we do not focus attention on this, because the problem is very common. But the methods of modern dentistry can eliminate hyperesthesia, only by improving the condition of your teeth, and at the same time, the use of favorite treats will cease to be a problem.

Causes of hyperesthesia

There are many reasons that affect the state of tooth enamel, but it is important not to start the symptoms of hypersensitivity, especially healthy and apparently undamaged teeth. After all, it is these painful sensations that can signal damage to the enamel, erosion, and abfractions, demineralization of the enamel, and even the appearance of carious cavities. Therefore, it is important to visit the dentist timely for a routine examination (in the absence of serious diseases that require long-term treatment, a routine examination should be carried out every six months). Hyperesthesia or increased sensitivity of tooth enamel may signal minor mechanical damage, the existence of initial or “hidden” carious cavities — therefore, in case of such discomforting pain, you should consult a dentist.

Causes of tooth sensitivity

• The presence of such non-carious defects, such as abfractions at the cervical zones of the teeth, erosion, and areas of increased abrasion (especially in the case of an abnormal occlusion);
• The surface of the enamel with demineralization (may manifest itself externally in the form of the so-called “white spots”);
• The appearance of carious defects (including at an early stage);
• Exposure of necks and roots of teeth in case of periodontitis;
• Excessive use of aggressive whitening toothpaste (especially without the appointment of the attending physician);
• Teeth whitening also provokes hypersensitivity of enamel (in this case, the approach of your consulting physician is important if regular teeth whitening is of particular importance to you);
• Increased sensitivity of the teeth is “normal” for several days after the procedure of professional cleaning and removal of dental deposits (if pain persists for more than 3 days you should consult your physician);
• Hyperesthesia occurs as a result of the constant use of large amounts of acid-containing products and concentrated juices (if these products are an integral part of your diet consult your dentist on how to protect your tooth enamel);
• Harmful habits (smoking, excessive alcohol consumption) also affect the condition of your teeth negatively, and provoke an increased sensitivity of the enamel;
• Hyperesthesia may be a “systemic” phenomenon for women, which is due to the peculiarities of the menstrual cycle, or it is associated with pregnancy (in this situation, it is important to undergo a timely diagnosis by a gynecologist and coordinate subsequent treatment with a dentist);
• Also, there are various systemic diseases that can provoke increased sensitivity of the teeth (endocrine diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, etc.);
• Hyperesthesia can occur as a result of taking certain types of medication (antibiotics, etc.).

Treatment of tooth sensitivity

Hyperesthesia, or increased sensitivity of the teeth – you should not take it for granted and close your eyes to it. First of all, the pain of tooth enamel can signal serious dental diseases that entail unpleasant consequences. There can be many reasons: certain diseases of the body, or the wrong medication, or you have healthy teeth, but there is such a feature. But to ignore this phenomenon is not at all necessary. Timely preventive examinations at the dentist’s and your general practitioner only help to maintain the health of your body. If, however, hyperesthesia does exist, and it is revealed that this is an exclusively dental problem, then the treatment options may be as follows:

• The procedure of remineralization of teeth (in the presence of areas of enamel, which visually look like “white spots”);
• Treatment of caries (in case of detection of carious defects of varying degrees of complexity);
• Tooth filling procedure (in the presence of abfractions or erosion);
• In case of increased abrasion of tooth enamel, an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment are carried out; at the initial stages your dentist may use special gels and other materials to create a protective coating for sensitive and most injured areas of enamel;
• The procedure for removal of dental tophus (using ultrasonic cleaning of teeth, AIR-FLOW sandblast cleaning or vector therapy) is carried out in case of exposure of the necks of the teeth during periodontitis. A related step is the use of special remineralizing medicines;
• If local causes of hyperesthesia were not detected with careful diagnostics, remineralization therapy is carried out, and then the patient should be referred to other specialists (therapist, neurologist, after all, facial nerve inflammations often provoke pain in the dental area, women should visit the gynecologist, etc.)

Specialists of Avanto clinics recommend you to visit the dentist on time and not to get used to the state of “sensitive teeth”. Today, the problem of hyperesthesia of tooth enamel can be easily eliminated, improving the condition of your teeth and removing unnecessary discomfort.