Are Lasers The Answer To Your Tooth Sensitivity?
Posted on: 25 October 2021
Having sensitive teeth can be quite unpleasant, especially if you regularly enjoy cold or hot foods and drinks. Thankfully, there are more options than ever for fixing discomfort in one's teeth, so you don't have to put up with this problem. In fact, a newer dental technology that utilizes lasers may be helpful in putting an end to your discomfort, permanently. Here's what you should know about it.
What Causes Tooth Sensitivity
In the absence of tooth decay, tooth sensitivity is usually caused because the root of the tooth has been exposed in some way, or its enamel has become thinner. While teeth look solid to the naked eye, a quick look with magnification will reveal that teeth have small holes in them, called tubules. Think of these as being like pores for teeth.
The problem with tubules is that they're usually hidden, either under dental enamel or under the surface of the gums. However, when these parts of the teeth are exposed, they can induce pain and discomfort. This is because the tubules lead straight down into the core of a tooth, right to where your nerve endings are.
As you probably know, your nerves are responsible for sending signals to the brain, like touch, cold, and pain. Surrounding a healthy and intact tooth with cold temperatures usually doesn't cause any discomfort, but if these tubules are exposed, that cold can go straight down to where the nerve is, triggering extreme discomfort. The same can be said for heat and even physical impacts, like biting down too hard.
How Lasers Help
Lasers follow a similar method of solving this problem to over-the-counter sensitivity toothpastes. The main difference between them is that tooth sensitivity toothpastes have to be used constantly in order to maintain their benefits and won't necessarily provide relief from the moment you start using it. On the other hand, laser therapy permanently resolves this problem, usually in a single treatment.
With laser dental care, your dentist will target the exposed tubules with an extremely fine laser light. This laser will do one of two things depending on your needs. It can be used to seal off the tubules, preventing temperatures and pressure from traveling into the tooth as effectively. Alternatively, the laser can be used to numb the nerve endings, reducing the amount of feeling and discomfort produced in the tooth. In either case, once the procedure is complete, you can expect your tooth sensitivity to be a thing of the past.
Reach out to a company like The Dental Boutique to learn more about laser dentistry.
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