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Planning and Preparing for Dental Procedures: Your Questions Answered


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Planning and Preparing for Dental Procedures: Your Questions Answered

Making decisions about your smile can be confusing. Should you have a tooth pulled or get a root canal? Should you get adult braces or stick with a retainer? Should you use at-home whitening remedies or have your teeth professionally whitened? If questions like these are keeping you up at night, you've come to the right place. I used to stress out over routine dental procedures, and as a result, I did loads of research on everything dental-related. To help others, I'm using this blog as a place to collect, review and share what I've learned through the years. I hope you can use the information here to help you plan and prepare for your next dental appointment.

Four Reasons That Dentistry Can Help With Tooth Sensitivity

Tooth sensitivity is a common problem that can cause you to feel pain when you eat or drink cold or hot foods and beverages. It can be caused by tooth decay, cracks in the tooth's enamel or gum disease. The good news is there are treatments that can help relieve your symptoms. Here are four reasons that dentistry can help with tooth sensitivity.

1. Dentistry Can Find And Treat The Cause Of The Sensitivity

If you have tooth decay, for example, your dentist will remove all of the decayed portions of your tooth and then fill it with a filling material such as composite resin or porcelain. This will restore strength to your tooth so it doesn't break down further, which could lead to root canal therapy if left untreated. Other possible causes include small cracks in the enamel that expose more sensitive parts of the tooth (caries) or gum disease that causes inflammation and swelling around the roots of teeth (gingivitis).

2. Dentistry Can Protect Teeth From Sensitivity And Damage

Dentists use sealants to protect sensitive teeth from further damage by food particles and acids. Sealants are thin plastic coatings applied to chewing surfaces of molars (back teeth) where they meet other teeth (contact points). They protect these areas from becoming contaminated by food particles and acids, which may cause decay if they become trapped.

3. Dentistry Provides You A Range Of Options To Treat Sensitivity Issues

Dentists have access to special tools that can help treat tooth sensitivity. Dental hygienists can use fluoride treatments or sealants to coat the surface of your teeth, which makes them less likely to get irritated by foods and beverages. Your dentist might also fit you with a mouth guard that helps protect sensitive areas from getting damaged by chewing or acid refluxes from eating spicy foods late at night.

4. Dentistry Procedures Can Prevent Sensitivity In The Future

The bacteria from plaque is what causes cavities and gum disease over time if not removed every day. Tartar is hardened plaque that accumulates under the gums and between the teeth over time if left untreated. Both plaque and tartar irritate nerve endings in the tooth, which causes pain when you eat or drink certain foods or beverages — especially cold ones.

Tooth sensitivity is a common problem for many people, and it can be a real annoyance. If you're dealing with sensitive teeth, you may not be able to enjoy your favourite foods or drinks. But there are ways to treat tooth sensitivity that don't involve avoiding certain foods or beverages. Chat with your dentist about the ways that dentistry can help your teeth sensitivity today.

For more information on dentistry, contact a professional near you.