If your teeth hurt after you eat or drink hot, cold, sweet, or acidic foods, you may have sensitive teeth. “The primary reason for sensitive teeth is the enamel that covers the tooth is worn away or gets so thin the dentin is exposed,” says Ronald P. Burakoff, DMD, chair of dental medicine at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, New York and Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York.
Although the enamel has virtually no nerves, dentin, the layer beneath the enamel does. This type of erosion can be caused by several things, including grinding your teeth, brushing them the wrong way or eating way too many acidic foods. Other possible causes for your sensitive teeth include cavities, fractured teeth, worn fillings, gum disease, and exposed tooth roots.
“While generalized sensitivity isn’t necessarily a sign of great evil afoot, it’s not a good thing because if your teeth are generally sensitive, you’re not going to brush like you should because it’s uncomfortable,” says Matthew Messina, DDS, faculty member at the Ohio State University College of Dentistry in Columbus. “You need to look for solutions.”
That’s why we’ve rounded up some dentist-approved home remedies—check them out!
