What Helps with Sensitive Teeth? Causes and Everyday Tips

A sip of ice water, a bite of ice cream or a sweet dessert, and suddenly a brief, stabbing pain shoots through your tooth? Sensitive teeth are widespread and a nuisance in everyday life, because they spoil the enjoyment of many foods and drinks. Experts speak of dentin hypersensitivity, and it can affect both younger and older people. In this guide you will learn why teeth become sensitive, which stimuli lie behind it and how to care for your teeth gently in everyday life.

What lies behind sensitive teeth

A healthy tooth is surrounded on the outside by hard enamel, the hardest substance in the entire body, and protected at the neck of the tooth by cementum. Beneath it lies the dentin, a softer tissue that is criss-crossed by thousands of tiny channels. These so-called dentinal tubules are filled with fluid and are in direct connection with the tooth nerve inside the tooth. If the dentin is exposed, the columns of fluid in the channels are set in motion by cold, heat, sweetness or acidity, irritate the fine nerve endings and trigger the typical brief, dragging pain. This hydrodynamic theory explains why the complaints come and disappear again so suddenly.

Common reasons for exposed dentin are receding gums with exposed tooth necks, thin or worn enamel, as well as wedge-shaped defects at the neck of the tooth. Scrubbing too hard with a hard toothbrush, an acidic diet, nocturnal tooth grinding and gum inflammation all promote this. At the neck of the tooth the enamel is naturally thinner and is lost more quickly than on the chewing surface. With age, too, the gums recede somewhat in many people. After a professional tooth cleaning, a tooth whitening or the placement of a new filling, teeth can also react more sensitively for a while, which usually settles down again by itself in the following days.

When you should have it checked by a doctor

Sensitive teeth fundamentally belong in a dental assessment, because only in this way can the cause be reliably determined. Visit a dental practice promptly if the pain is severe, lasts a long time, does not subside after the stimulus or even occurs spontaneously without a trigger. The same applies with visible holes, dark discolouration, swollen or bleeding gums, sensitivity to pressure when chewing, a bad taste in the mouth or if a single tooth throbs persistently. Behind sensitivity there can also be caries, a crack in the tooth, a leaking filling or an inflammation of the tooth root, which must be treated professionally. Do not wait too long, because a cause detected early can usually be treated more simply and more gently.

What you can do in everyday life

The most important lever is the right brushing technique. Use a soft toothbrush and brush with gentle pressure in small circular or sweeping movements from red to white, that is from the gum to the tooth, instead of scrubbing vigorously back and forth. A coarse back-and-forth motion practically saws at the sensitive neck of the tooth. Anyone who reaches for an electric toothbrush should pay attention to a pressure control that warns against pressing too hard. A special toothpaste for sensitive teeth can, over time, seal the exposed dentinal tubules or make them less sensitive; look for a low abrasiveness, the so-called RDA value.

Timing is also important: after enjoying acidic foods or drinks such as citrus fruits, soft drinks, fruit juices or wine, wait about 30 minutes before brushing, because the enamel is softened directly afterwards and more sensitive to abrasion. A sip of water or chewing a sugar-free gum right after eating helps to neutralise the acid more quickly. If you grind your teeth at night, a dentist-fitted bite splint can protect the teeth from the strong mechanical load. Drinking acidic drinks through a straw also keeps the acid away from the front teeth. Go regularly for check-ups and professional tooth cleaning, so that deposits do not settle in the first place.

Nutrition that supports

Acid is the greatest enemy of tooth enamel. Frequent nibbling on acidic things and constant sipping of sugary or acidic drinks keeps the mouth in an acidic environment that gradually demineralises the enamel. After each acidic stimulus, the saliva needs a certain amount of time to raise the pH value again; anyone who sips on the lemonade bottle every minute never gives it this pause. Therefore enjoy such things rather in one go with the main meals and drink water or unsweetened tea in between.

Dairy products such as cheese, yoghurt and quark provide calcium and phosphate and can help to balance the pH value in the mouth again after eating. A piece of cheese to finish a meal is a time-honoured friend of the teeth. Sugar-free chewing gum or sweets with xylitol stimulate the flow of saliva, and saliva is the natural protective mechanism that neutralises acids and returns minerals to the enamel. Crunchy vegetables such as carrots, celery or kohlrabi, as well as nuts and whole grain products, also promote the flow of saliva through vigorous chewing. A balanced diet that is not too acidic, with sufficient calcium, vitamin D and vitamin C, supports dental health from within.

Nutrients & plants with a connection

Teeth and the surrounding jaw bone depend on certain nutrients. Calcium is needed for the maintenance of normal teeth and normal bones. Vitamin D contributes to the maintenance of normal teeth and bones and supports the normal absorption and utilisation of calcium. Both work hand in hand, because without sufficient vitamin D the body can only inadequately utilise the calcium from food. Magnesium also contributes to the maintenance of normal teeth and normal bones, and phosphorus contributes to the maintenance of normal teeth and bones; alongside calcium, both minerals are important building blocks of the hard tooth substance.

For the gums, vitamin C plays a special role, because it contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of the gums. Firm, well-supplied gums protect the sensitive tooth necks. Fluoride, as contained in many toothpastes and in part in drinking water, contributes to the maintenance of tooth mineralisation and hardens the enamel on the surface. Traditionally, mouth rinses with extracts of sage, chamomile or myrrh are also used for oral care; their reputation rests on traditional use, not on authorised health claims.

Small habits, big effect

Sensitive teeth rarely improve overnight, but many small habits add up. Swap a hard toothbrush for a soft model and change the brush head at the latest every two to three months, because worn bristles clean less well and irritate more. Use a fluoride toothpaste in the morning and evening and only spit out the foam afterwards, without rinsing vigorously with water, so that the protective fluoride film stays on the teeth longer. Anyone who exercises in between should watch out for highly acidic isotonic drinks and rather reach for water. And if cold plagues you: on frosty days, breathe consciously through your nose to keep the cold air away from your teeth. In this way you protect your enamel a little more day by day.

Honestly put into context

Sensitive teeth are a symptom whose cause you should know before taking action against it. Toothpaste for sensitive teeth, gentle brushing and less acid often noticeably relieve the sensitivity, but they do not replace a dental examination. No food supplement can seal exposed tooth necks or reverse caries. The most honest message is: have the cause clarified, care gently and protect your enamel from acid. Food supplements can supplement, not replace, a balanced diet, and act at most in a supporting way from within.

Suitable products from Scheunengut

With sensitive teeth, the right dental care and dental assessment come first. A balanced, nutrient-rich diet with sufficient calcium, vitamin D and vitamin C supports the normal maintenance of teeth, gums and bones from within. If you would like to supplement your supply in a targeted way, you will find suitable vitamin and mineral preparations in the Scheunengut range that can be easily built into your everyday life.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Why do my teeth react sensitively to cold?

In most cases exposed dentin is present, for example through receded gums or thin enamel. Cold stimuli set the fluid in the fine dentinal tubules in motion, which pass the stimulus directly on to the tooth nerve and trigger the brief, dragging pain.

Which toothbrush is right for sensitive teeth?

A soft toothbrush, with which you brush gently and without strong pressure. Hard scrubbing wears away enamel and gums further and can worsen the sensitivity. Electric brushes with pressure control help to keep the pressure within limits.

Should I brush my teeth immediately after acidic food?

No, wait about 30 minutes. Directly after acidic food the enamel is softened, and brushing can additionally wear it away. In the meantime, a sip of water or a sugar-free chewing gum helps to dilute the acid and stimulate the saliva.

Can tooth grinding make teeth sensitive?

Yes, nocturnal grinding strongly stresses the enamel and can wear it away as well as cause fine cracks. A dentist-fitted bite splint protects the teeth and can reduce the sensitivity.

Does special toothpaste help with sensitive teeth?

Toothpaste for sensitive teeth can, over time, seal the exposed dentinal tubules or make them less sensitive. It works best with regular use over several weeks and with low abrasiveness.

Which nutrients are important for teeth and gums?

Calcium, magnesium and phosphorus contribute to the maintenance of normal teeth, vitamin D supports the utilisation of calcium, and vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of the gums. A balanced diet usually covers these nutrients well.