Why are my teeth sensitive?
There can be several reasons why your teeth are sensitive. These might include:
- Decay with a cavity developing in the tooth.
- Cracks in teeth are a frequent cause which can be difficult to locate. This may require teeth restorations
- Clenching or grinding the teeth. This can also result in headaches and migraines.
- Oral infections within the tooth, gums or jawbone.
- Teeth that are tender to pressure or chewing may be the result of new fillings or crowns that may still need a slight adjustment of the bite by simply polishing.
- Tooth brush abrasion and abfraction – wear around the neck of the tooth at the gum line exposes the dentine which contains nerve endings. Application of a sensitising solution or bonding over the exposed dentine can simply eliminate the sensitivity.
Central to dentistry at Sydney Holistic Dental Centre is an understanding of the impact of infections in the gums, teeth or jawbone on your health.
Also choosing filling materials that are not toxic, aesthetic, strong and are biocompatible with good health.
The treatments of tension headaches, neck aches, migraines or jaw problems are also incorporated into holistic dentistry, together with nutritional and postural advice.
Holistic dentistry works with other health practitioners to achieve optimal health for our patients.
There are a number of symptoms that you may experience:
- Sensitivity to cold or heat
- Tenderness on chewing food
- Sensitivity to sweet foods
- Tooth has broken or chipped
If you have any of these, then you should come in for an appointment.
If you need an extraction:
We may be able to extract the tooth at the initial appointment, however there are many factors that determine whether we can do this, or whether it requires an oral surgeon.
If you need a root canal treatment:
If you require a root canal treatment, you will require a number of appointments. We can commence the initial appointment for you and treat the infection.
If you need a filling:
There are a number of treatment options including bonded filling materials (composite resins), placement or bonded porcelain or ceramic restorations and the use of tooth crowns.
Examples include the following:
Fillings are the most common type of dental restoration. Teeth can be filled with gold, silver amalgam, or tooth‐colored plastic materials called composite resin fillings.
Inlays/Onlays: like a puzzle piece of a missing part of the tooth. The piece fills in and is bonded to the tooth to restore the tooth back to the normal wear and function. Made with similar or same material as a crown.
Dental Crowns or Caps are a tooth‐shaped “cap” that is placed over a tooth to restore its shape and size, strength, appearance, to hold a bridge in place or cover a dental implant.
When you come in for an initial consultation or an emergency dental appointment, our first priority is the get you out of pain.
We will initially ask you to complete a medical history form if you haven’t been to us before, or haven’t visited in a long time. After this, we will immediately make an assessment, take any necessary diagnostic x-rays and treat the presenting symptoms.
We aim to fit you in as soon as possible and have dedicated times to see emergency dental patients – if you are in pain, please call now to make an appointment.
Commonly Asked Questions
Welcome to the very big club of people who are anxious, scared or even terrified of dental treatment. There are lots of things we do that help including;
- Calm, supportive team
- Use of local anaesthetics including the revolutionary Compudent- The Wand
- Television/ videos in the ceiling above you with cordless headphones
- Nitrous oxide (sometimes called “laughing gas”) which is a gentle way of relaxing you in conjunction with local anaesthetics.
- The use of rubber dam (See Rubber Dam) and its importance in calming people is a big help ensuring that you don’t have water etc. falling down the back of your throat and allows you to relax. With rubber dam and local anaesthetics many people have been known to fall asleep.
If you are feeling anxious:
- Intravenous sedation has the advantage of you being totally relaxed, all of the treatment can be done in one appointment and you often have no memory of the appointment
- General anaesthetics can also be arranged
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