8.“Barrier” treatments
If the remedies mentioned earlier aren’t easing tooth sensitivity, there are some procedures your dentist (or a hygienist) can do. These procedures are called “barrier” treatments and they are usually done in a dentist’s office to physically plug up any exposed pores, explains Dr. Burnett. “There’s a wide range of products [which] last much longer than anything over-the-counter.”
Bonding, one subtype of barrier treatment, uses tooth-colored filling material. Most dentists also use fluoride-releasing resin material (a cousin of the tooth-colored filling), says Dr. Burnett. Regular composite fillings may also be used.
“The logic is similar [to some over-the-counter remedies] in that this is physically plugging up the tubules, but different than, say, the sensitivity toothpaste where little precipitates are travelling into the tubules to create a plug,” says Dr. Burnett. “This is more of a ‘shield’ than a ‘plug’ because it covers the entire surface of where it’s applied.”
