Cold, hot, sweet, sour: that, hurts!

You know this feeling? The joy for the delicious ice cream is great, but already the first spoon turns the pleasure into horror. This is usually due to a strong hypersensitivity of the exposed the tooth neck (cervix), which aggressors can attack unrestrictedly. Exposed cervix cannot be only painful, they also affect the overall aesthetics of the teeth.

 

In healthy conditions the cervical region of the tooth is surrounded by gum, which protects the tooth. If the gum is retracting from this region, we talk about gum-recession. This recession does not involve only the gum, but also the alveolar bone, which is also causing the exposure of the root surface. Tooth cervix and root surface are unprotected and vulnerable to external stimuli and react with sensitivity to them.

 

Common causes for gum recession:

• Chronic inflammations

• trauma caused by sharp-edged food ingredients 

• very thin and delicate gums

• Teeth grinding (bruxism)

• dental misalignments

• orthodontic tooth-movement

• “wrong” tooth brushing technique (brushing traumata)

 

The protective function of the gums is lost when recession occurs. An exposed tooth neck leads to high sensitivity to pain. In addition, the risk of caries increases, since the exposed dentine and cementum (root surface) in the root area is much more susceptible to caries than the enamel. Sensitivity can also occur with leaky fillings made of composite and / or dental crowns.

 

Exposed cervix leads to high tooth sensitivity, and the risk to get caries is arising as the dentin and cementum (root-surface) is more susceptible to caries in comparison to enamel. Sensitivity appears also in situation such as leaky dental composite fillings and / or dental crowns.

 

LASER treatment of cervical sensitivity

In my Zahnarztpraxis Uetikon am See, I can use the LASER-application to seal the exposed dentinal tubules of the tooth cervix (tooth neck). By sealing those hollow tubules with the LASER, a desensitization of the tooth / teeth results.

 

In an advanced stage I can fix the exposed and sensitive tooth neck(s) by covering them with composite fillings.