Tooth Sensitive To Cold?

There is nothing worse than drinking a cool tall drink on a hot day and then having that sharp pain shoot through your teeth into your brain!  Do you have a tooth that is sensitive to hot or cold foods or liquids?  But, you still want to have white teeth?

In this article we discuss ways to help with sensitive teeth.

Do You Want the BEST Whitener That Limits Tooth Sensitivity?

YES - GET IT NOW

And, look at some teeth whitening methods that can be used that won’t make things worse.

Believe me.  Using the wrong teeth whitening products can make things much worse for sensitive teeth.

Sensitivity Causes

Tooth sensitivity can happen for various reasons:

  • Diet of high acidic beverages or acidic mouthwash
  • Age
  • Tooth grinding
  • Over aggressive brushing
  • Vitamin deficiency
  • Tooth decay (cavities)
  • Gingivitis
  • Accidental tooth damage (a chipped or broken tooth)
  • Plaque build up
  • Dental work
  • Clenching teeth
  • Teeth whitening chemicals

Events like the ones listed above cause the dentin underneath the enamel to be more exposed.  It’s the exposure of the dentin to the hot and cold that causes teeth sensitivity.

Teeth Whitening Effects on Sensitivity

Does he have sensitive teeth?

“Showing many teeth” by Tambako The Jaguar (CC BY-ND 2.0), via Flickr.com

Different teeth whitening methods have different effects on teeth sensitivity.

So, if you’re feeling the effects of the pain of a sensitive tooth, you should review your teeth whitening method to see if you’re making things worse.

I wouldn’t want this guy in the picture getting mad at me for recommending the wrong tooth whitener.

Many teeth whitening methods primarily use peroxide as the chemical that “bleaches” your teeth.

But, sometimes peroxide can cause teeth sensitivity.

Often the strength of peroxide in your teeth whitener or the length of time you leave the peroxide on your teeth affects how sensitive your teeth can become.

Products That Consider Tooth Sensitivity

Different teeth whitening product categories typically affect tooth sensitivity in different ways.

In other words, some categories of teeth whitening are typically harsher on teeth than others.

Let’s dive a little deeper into several teeth whitening methods, and how each of these affect sensitivity.

Whitening Pens on Tooth Sensitivity

Many whitening pens have a high concentration of peroxide and directions require that you keep the product on your teeth for a long period of time.

Our research found that many of the whitening pens products have complaints about causing tooth sensitivity.

MaxxGel Teeth Whitening Pen was the exception in the Whitening Pen category of product.

Over 150 reviewers of this product on Amazon spoke very positively about tooth sensitivity with MaxxGel.

Several talked about how they typically have problems with whitening products, but that MaxxGel didn’t bother them.

Teeth Whitening Strips on Tooth Sensitivity

Teeth Whitening Strips are another category of product that can be harsh on your teeth.

Many reviews on strips are littered with complaints about “this product made my teeth hurt”.

From a sensitivity standpoint, we couldn’t find a good product in the whitening strip category.

There just wasn’t a product that we could find that we felt good about recommending for someone with sensitive teeth.

Electric Toothbrush

This is another product category where recommending getting an electric toothbrush to someone with sensitive teeth is just not possible.

You really don’t want to “beat” your teeth with a harsh action if you are already experiencing problems with thin enamel, or receding gums.

So, save your money and focus on other less physically harsh methods of cleaning your teeth if you have tooth sensitivity.

Natural Methods

Baking soda could be a great way of helping with tooth sensitivity.

Especially if consuming acidic food or drink is the source of your sensitivity.

Baking soda is a natural “base” ingredient.  So, one of the effects that baking soda has is to offset the acidic levels of whatever it touches.

Vitamins

Avoid Acidic Fruits as a way to obtain Vitamin C

“citrus fruit” by Jennifer Chait (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Flickr.com

Vitamins are a great addition to your whitening regimen.

But, when trying to beef up your vitamin intake, make sure you aren’t choosing acidic foods as the method of getting more dentin friendly vitamins like Vitamin C.

Vitamin D has been specifically found to be helpful with improving teeth sensitivity.

We found this great article for advice on great ways to improve Vitamin D intake.

Carbamide Peroxide

We talk more in depth about carbamide peroxide in this article.

But, the bottom line with regard to teeth sensitivity is to avoid using this chemical as your method of teeth whitening if you have teeth sensitivity.

The bottom line is that carbamide peroxide whitening products main ingredient is hydrogen peroxide.  And, these products typically have a high concentration of hydrogen peroxide.

Since hydrogen peroxide typically is very harsh on the enamel, anyone with teeth sensitivity will not react well to using a carbamide peroxide product for any extensive period of time.

Tooth Powder

Tooth powder products are typically grainier products that can be harsh on your teeth.

Because they have more grit than a typical toothpaste, most tooth powder products are not good for people with sensitive teeth.

An exception to this rule are products that include Prickly Ash Bark.  Prickly Ash Bark includes Zanthoxylum americanum.

This natural ingredient is known to be good for sensitive teeth.

IPSab Tooth Powder includes Prickly Ash Bark and is a great ingredient for those with sensitive teeth.

Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers are a thin layer over you teeth.

If you have thin enamel, then veneers can help.

Unfortunately veneers can be very expensive.

It might be tempting to just get a veneer for that one tooth that is giving you sensitivity problems.  But, getting a veneer for only one tooth typically leaves you with one tooth that is just not the same shade as the rest of your teeth.

It might look good at first since your dentist can often do a great job of matching your existing tooth color.

But, if you drink coffee or tea.  Or, consume foods that stain your teeth.  It will just be too difficult to maintain a consistent tooth color across your teeth.

Eventually you will not be happy with the results and you’ll want to add more veneers to get color consistency back.  Which will end up costing even more.

Salt

Salt is sometimes recommended by some as a good teeth whitener.

But, for those with sensitivity issues, you will want to steer clear.

Salt is just too abrasive.  So, any extensive use will likely make your sensitivity issues worse, not better.

Wrap Up: Tooth Sensitive To Cold?

I hope you find my research useful and that it helps you to eliminate those irritating sharp pains.

Do You Want the BEST Whitener That Limits Tooth Sensitivity?

YES - GET IT NOW

I hear back from a lot of people that have had a tooth sensitive to cold.  So, when they see results, they are some of the most grateful people ever I hear from.  Now it’s your turn.  If you also see results (positive or negative), I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below!


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