Can sensitive teeth toothpastes, in masking pain and sensitivity, mask important symptoms and thus overlook issues your dentists should see?

No matter how clever we think we are, we live in a time that (if nothing else) teaches us we’re only ever a click away from knowing something we didn’t and somehow should have, or something we wish we never knew had we any knowledge of it in the first place.

Never realising screensavers actually had a purpose  –  despite the deafening, screaming clue in its name  – falls under the category of the former.

For those equally not in the know, leaving an image for too long on original cathode ray tube (CRT) computer monitors and tv screens caused the inner phosphor coating to burn. If a television was accidentally left on overnight after the end of the broadcast and just the test pattern showed, the shadow of that test signal was forevermore decipherable even with the tv off.  For computers it was the same: a static image ruined the normal display function, leaving a ghostly shadow as a permanent reminder.

Screensavers were developed to constantly change what appeared on screen, thus avoiding this issue of damage.

Beginning around 2003, LCD and LED changed that landscape; plasma and OLED kept it in. However, by 2010, CRT tv production had stopped, and by 2012 it became yet another obsolete technology. Screensavers no longer save screens  –  now they’re just for entertainment, offense, or offensive entertainment.

Those black dots on the edge of car windscreens is another first category contender; and if you don’t want to fret about finding out about the frit, you’re welcome to look it up. What’s interesting about that, is what a windscreen looks like under a microscope. (Which you may or may not want to have as a screensaver.) 

At the same magnification, the root surface of a tooth looks very similar. It’s a part of the tooth that doesn’t have the same thickness of enamel as the crown. A more vulnerable structure, it has lots of little holes or ‘tubules’.

Dentin hypersensitivity  –  or sensitive teeth  –  can occur for a number of reasons.

Common causes are eroded enamel, tooth cracks or chips, a worn filling, or gum disease where roots have become exposed. A tooth lesion, or even a dental treatment can also cause the complaint. Using whiteners is another factor known to create sensitivity.

The extreme discomfort of tooth sensitivity is an interesting chemical process.

Normally, when there’s no pain, nerve cells in the tooth maintain a slightly negative voltage potential (-70 mV) between the inside of the cell, and the outside of the cell by regulating the flow of potassium and sodium ions.

When nerve cells want to signal pain, potassium inside the cells flows out, and sodium flows in. The cell therefore depolarises  –  shifting the electric charge distribution  – and that’s what produces the pain sensation.

To nullify this awful “ouch!” factor, one basic ingredient of all toothpastes for sensitive teeth, is potassium nitrate which floods the nerves with potassium ions, and stops the pain signalling working.

There is such an abundance of potassium provided outside the nerve cells, it prevents what’s inside the cells from flowing out. There’s no depolarisation process and ergo, no transmission of torment.

Rather than a case of “no pain, no gain” it’s more a matter of “I can’t complain if I ascertain no pain”.

Over time, this active ingredient of potassium nitrate is absorbed into the dentinal tubules. It reaches the pulp chamber where the dentine is that transmits all the sensations of temperature, pressure and pain, and the synapses are overloaded with potassium.

It’s this increase that decreases the viable pain transmissions; along with stannous fluoride that, like a coat of clear nail polish, protectively seals the tubules so that nothing can fire off the nerve cells.

Because of the way they work, to garner the most from any toothpaste for tooth sensitivity is to directly apply it with your finger to the affected areas, like you would an ointment. Having it remain there as long as you can is much more efficacious than simply brushing with it twice a day.

Generally, it takes about two weeks for these toothpastes to start being effective; and when you stop using the product the sensitivity will return.

What’s well worth knowing, is that while most sensitivity toothpastes deal very well with dentin hypersensitivity, they’re not that great for the actual cleaning of your teeth. So there’s the rub on top of the rub you should be doing; while being aware that the sensitivity could be from brushing your teeth too hard.

Pastes combining 8% L-arginine, calcium carbonate, and potassium nitrate have also been shown to be very effective in providing less dentinal tubules permeability, and notably reducing the symptoms tooth sensitivity.

The issue with simply relying on using sensitive teeth toothpastes is akin to dealing with the onset of regular migraines by scarfing OTC ibuprofen and never seeking medical advice to ensure it’s nothing serious.

Tooth sensitivity can be symptomatic of dental issues requiring better advice and treatment than just a pea-sized blob from a supermarket tube. Keep in mind that most chronic oral health complications could have been resolved earlier, easier, and more economically had a dentist been consulted.

No matter how clever we think we are, unless we’re a dentist, we’re not a dentist. Don’t simply self-diagnose a change in the sensitivity of your teeth  –  make a dental appointment and get the assurance only an oral health expert can give.

This could be the click that had you knowing something you didn’t, and somehow should have.

Disclaimer: The material posted is for informational purposes only and is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Results vary with each patient. Any dental procedure carries risks and benefits. If you have any specific questions about any dental and/or medical matter, you should consult your dentist, physician or other professional healthcare providers.

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