Painful Tooth Sensitivity: Is It a Dental Emergency?

You’re curled up in your favorite armchair, ready to enjoy a cold, tasty treat after a long day. But this ends up being more of a struggle than you bargained for! As soon as the ice cream touches your teeth, pain shoots through your dental roots and ripples over your gums.

This is tooth sensitivity: a situation where teeth are tender to overly hot and cold sensations. It can be extremely bothersome, so patients often have a hard time knowing whether their experience is a dental emergency or not. Keep reading, and this post will help you learn how to tell the difference.

Normal Tooth Sensitivity

Tooth sensitivity is actually a fairly common issue, and is mostly considered normal. There are two situations that can cause this type of oral discomfort: dental treatments and weakened enamel.

Although most dental treatments are fairly mild, it’s natural for your mouth to feel sore after being poked and prodded! Restorative and cosmetic work can make your pearly whites a bit tender – and so can a routine cleaning if you haven’t brushed your smile in a while.

Enamel weakens naturally over time. Daily biting and chewing gradually wears it down, thinning the barrier between external sensations and your tooth’s squishy center. Since your pearly whites don’t have as much protection as they used to, sensitivity is bound to occur.

Signs Your Sensitivity is a Dental Emergency

Keeping all of this in mind, it’s important to know that there are situations where tooth sensitivity indicates you have a serious oral health condition. For example:

• Gum recession caused by periodontal disease can expose fragile dental roots
• Decay that results from cavities are known to trigger toothaches and tenderness
• Deteriorated fillings or crowns can leave a weakened tooth exposed
• Dental chips or cracks also compromise your natural enamel

Generally speaking, if your sensitivity lasts for more than a few seconds after eating hot or cold foods, causes severe pain, or is focused on one specific tooth, then it’s very possible you have a dental emergency.

Talk To Your Dentist

There are certainly signs that can help you tell the difference between normal sensitivity and emergency sensitivity, but the best way to know for sure is to talk to your dentist. Even if it turns out that you have a clean bill of oral health, they might be able to help you mitigate your dental tenderness. No matter what kind of sensitivity you’re dealing with, it’s something worth mentioning to your friendly dental team!

About the Practice

Drs. Frank and Jodie Rubal have over 20 years of experience in the field of dentistry. This husband-and-wife team works together seamlessly to provide patients with quality, compassionate care. If you’re worried about tooth sensitivity, go ahead and give them a call. They’ll do their best to treat your symptoms, even if you’re not experiencing a dental emergency! To contact their office, call 817-444-2585.