If your teeth are prone to sensitivity, then you are likely to suffer from dentin hypersensitivity. What is dentin hypersensitivity? What are the clinical manifestations? How to treat it effectively? What are the precautions in life?

 What is "Dentin Hypersensitivity"：

Dentin hypersensitivity, also known as allergic dentin, commonly known as "inverted teeth", is caused by external stimuli, such as temperature (cold, heat), chemical substances (sour, sweet), and mechanical effects (rubbing or biting hard objects), etc. The symptoms of soreness caused by it are characterized by rapid attack, sharp pain and short time.

 Dentin hypersensitivity is not an independent disease, but a common symptom of various dental diseases. Many dental diseases can destroy the integrity of tooth enamel, resulting in dentin exposure, followed by dentin hypersensitivity. The severity of its symptoms is usually related to the time of dentin exposure and the speed of reparative dentin formation; sometimes it can experience the process from nothing to nothing with climate change; it also has a relationship with the health of the whole body. Correlation, such as menstrual period, pregnancy, neurasthenia, head and neck radiation therapy, etc., may have corresponding symptoms.

 Typical symptoms and high-risk groups

Dentin hypersensitivity is mainly manifested as stimulation pain. When biting hard objects, brushing teeth, or encountering sour, sweet, cold, hot and other stimuli, it will cause tooth pain and discomfort; the soreness will disappear immediately after the stimulation is removed. Clinically, it is not difficult to make a judgment through the probing of the affected teeth, temperature stimulation and the patient's subjective feelings.

 Dentin hypersensitivity is more common in people with the following oral diseases: enamel defect or hypoplasia; periodontal atrophy leading to exposure of the neck or root of the tooth; dentin exposure due to wear, defect, tooth fracture, etc.

 How to treat "dentine hypersensitivity"：

The pathogenesis of dentine hypersensitivity is still uncertain, and hydrodynamics theory is the most accepted in the industry. According to this, the effective treatment method is to seal the dentine tubules to reduce or avoid the flow of fluid in the dentine, thereby blocking the nerve Pain caused by impulse.

 1. Desensitization treatment

The most common treatment in clinical practice is to use desensitizers. Commonly used desensitizers are composed of one or more components, and desensitizing components can be divided into:

  •  Potassium nitrate, potassium chloride, potassium oxalate, and potassium citrate that can reduce the sensitivity of local pulp nerve receptors;
  •  Fluoride, calcium salts, chloride, potassium salts, thymol, and glutaraldehyde that can block exposed dentinal tubules;
  • Resin and glass ionomer varnishes and dentin adhesives that cover exposed dentin tubules;
  • Calcium hydroxide, calcium nitrate, etc., which can promote the formation of restorative dentin.

 Before the desensitization treatment, remove the plaque on the tooth surface, separate the treatment area from moisture and dry it, dip in the medicine and rub the sensitive area repeatedly for 2 to 3 minutes until the sensitivity disappears. At present, laser treatment is also commonly used. According to the parameters provided by the instruction manual of the laser treatment instrument, the sensitive area of the tooth is irradiated with laser for a certain period of time to achieve the effect of sealing the dentinal tubules, which has a good curative effect. For those who failed repeated drug desensitization, dental filling or artificial crown restoration should be considered. The above treatment methods are performed by doctors in the consulting room.

 2. Using Home Dental Products

In addition, there are some household oral products that can be used together, and the method is safe and easy. A variety of effective desensitizing ingredients are usually made into toothpaste or mouthwash. The curative effect of the desensitizer is closely related to its action time, so when using desensitizing toothpaste, the brushing time should be extended appropriately, and the sensitive area should be rubbed repeatedly; when using mouthwash, the liquid should be kept in the mouth for a certain period of time, or increase Gargle times.

 3. Chinese treatment

Chinese medicine believes that dentin hypersensitivity is caused by the loss of kidney essence, weak marrow and bone deficiency, resulting in weak teeth. This disease is equivalent to "tooth rot" in traditional Chinese medicine. The Qing Dynasty's "Origin of Miscellaneous Diseases and Rhinoceros Candles" has related discussions on it. The proposed treatment method is to chew walnut kernels carefully. There are also folk methods that suggest that chewing tea leaves, garlic, etc. can also relieve symptoms. Chewing carefully can make the desensitizing ingredients in walnut kernels or tea fully contact with the teeth, and has a certain effect on dentin hypersensitivity caused by excessive wear on the occlusal surface of the teeth; the commonly used prescription is Zhibai Dihuang Decoction, which has a certain effect.

Precautions in life

In daily life, preventing excessive tooth wear and irritation, avoiding periodontal damage, can delay the occurrence of dentin hypersensitivity. If dentin hypersensitivity occurs, the following aspects should be paid attention to:

  •  If a tooth is found to be defective, it should be treated in time;
  • Regular dental check-ups, timely treatment of problems found;
  • Pay attention to oral hygiene, brush your teeth in the correct way, and rinse your mouth with warm water;
  • Eat less or do not eat food that is too cold or too hot to reduce temperature stimulation;
  • When going out in winter, do not inhale cold air directly, but wear a mask for protection;
  • Maintain a healthy diet and limit the intake of acidic foods such as carbonated drinks;
  • Do not eat too hard food, avoid chewing food on one side, and reduce excessive tooth wear;
  • Tap your teeth frequently and massage your gums to keep the periodontal tissue healthy and prevent periodontal atrophy.
  • Once the symptoms of dentin hypersensitivity appear frequently, you should seek medical attention in time to avoid aggravating the condition.