If you have been experiencing a toothache and ignoring it for a while now, you should know that dental problems worsen with time. Before you know it, you will be on your way to the doctor for dental surgery. Feeling slight or severe sensations in your teeth are signs that you have sensitive teeth that need special care.
It is not normal for your teeth to hurt when you brush or eat something hot or cold. While most people who suffer from sensitive teeth are aged, it can happen in teenagers as well as people in their twenties. Knowing the warning signs will tell you when to visit a Monterey, CA dentist.
Telltale signs you have sensitive teeth
- Your teeth hurt when you eat or drink something cold.
You probably have sensitive teeth if your teeth hurt when you eat or drink or bite into something cold. To know for sure, try eating ice cream or a cold drink and see whether you feel a slight or severe sensation in your teeth.
If you do not feel anything, try biting into something harder, like an ice block. If your tooth hurts, you will know it. Some people may also experience pain while brushing when rinsing their mouth with cold water.
- Your teeth hurt when you eat or drink something hot.
If your teeth hurt when you consume a hot food item or drink, such as tea or coffee, you may suffer from sensitive teeth. Try eating hot foods and drinks to find out. Sensitivity to hot things often occurs due to tooth decay, root exposure, reversible pulpitis, or gum inflammation. If you are experiencing this symptom, it is imperative for you to visit your dentist.
- Your teeth might hurt even when you breathe through your mouth.
Try breathing through your mouth, preferably in cold air weather, and see whether your teeth hurt. If your teeth are sensitive to cold, you will experience pain even when cold air touches them. While this is not a common symptom, some patients experience it.
- Pain from gently tapping your teeth.
Everyone gently taps their teeth once or twice or more times a day. It is a common habit and does not pose harm to your dental health. However, if you experience pain even when you only tap your teeth together, you have sensitive teeth that need attention. Pain from a normal collision of your teeth is not a healthy sign.
These are a few telltale signs of sensitive teeth. The most obvious sign is when you feel sharp sensations from time to time. Brushing and flossing may not solve this problem. Consult a dentist in Monterey, CA, today.