Sensitive tooth necks

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The sensitive tooth necks often protest painfully when they come into contact with icy air, steaming coffee or chocolate cake. How it can be that the tooth necks - which are usually covered by gums - are exposed, and what can be done about the increased sensitivity to pain, find out here!

Increased sensitivity

Some teeth react to cold, hot, sweet or sour with a painful pull. The reason can be tooth decay or an increased sensitivity of the teeth.

Even with leaky fillings or crowns as well as exposed tooth necks, the teeth are sometimes over-sensitive. If the neck of the tooth is no longer covered by the gums or if the protective enamel layer is insufficient, stimuli can penetrate the nerves unhindered.

Exposed necks

Normally, the tooth is perfectly protected by the resistant enamel that extends to the gumline. However, when the gums recede, it exposes the sensitive neck of the tooth. At this point, the dentin is criss-crossed by thousands of tiny tubules that extend from the surface to the pulp. Chemical and thermal stimuli reach the nerve via the sensitive dentinal tubules and trigger hypersensitivity or pain.

causes

The main cause of exposed tooth necks is a disease of the teeth holding apparatus (periodontitis). In the course of this chronic inflammation, the gums recede more and more.

Incorrect toothbrushing technique or too much pressure on the toothbrush can also have negative effects: If you scrub too hard back and forth, the gums can be injured in such a way that they pull back from the tooth. Not only does it look ugly - the tooth necks then increasingly lack their protective layer.

Malfunctions such as grinding and clenching at night (bruxism) also appear to be involved in the exposure of the necks of the teeth.

Paint and glue

The simplest protection against sensitive tooth necks is of course not to let them arise in the first place. With the right brushing technique and the timely treatment of periodontitis and bruxism, the risk can be significantly reduced.

If the tooth necks are already exposed and cause pain, the dentist can seal the tooth neck with a strengthening fluoride varnish or apply a thin-flowing plastic that closes the dentinal tubules. Both procedures alleviate hypersensitivity.

For home dental care, there are special toothpastes whose ingredients strengthen the tooth substance. Ask your dentist about this. As a rule, the necks of the teeth become less sensitive over time - the bite into the gingerbread heart is then no longer quite as unpleasant.

In some people, however, the previous damage is so great that only tooth neck fillings or protective tooth crowns bring lasting relief. Periodontal surgical methods, in which the gums are placed back over the neck of the tooth, are also suitable for some patients.

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