One day you’re enjoying your favorite ice cream and suddenly begin to feel discomfort. Or after brushing your teeth as you rinse your mouth with warm water you feel pain. Chances are pretty good you’re experiencing tooth sensitivity. While this mouth pain is annoying, it could also be a sign of a larger problem. Tooth sensitivity is caused by a wide variety of reasons, including:

Brushing with too much force or with a hard bristle toothbrush and wearing down the tooth’s protective covering.
Grinding your teeth. While the majority of time this occurs while you’re sleeping your dentist should be able to determine, based on the appearance of your teeth, if this is the problem.
You use tooth whitening toothpaste or mouthwash. Many times these products contain alcohol and other chemicals which can cause tooth sensitivity.
Not brushing or flossing on a regular basis until you have excessive plaque buildup which over time may cause tooth enamel to wear away. As the enamel disappears the teeth become more sensitive to temperature fluctuations.
Old dental fillings can weaken allowing bacteria to build up. These bacteria can cause the enamel to break down creating sensitivity around the base of the tooth.
Many times after a root canal, crown or tooth extraction the area around the tooth or socket will become sensitive. This type of sensitivity needs to be watched. If it continues you need to contact your dentist as this could be a sign of infection.
A cracked tooth will also cause pain but in most cases that pain is much more severe than just average tooth sensitivity.

It is imperative if you suffer from constant dental pain to contact Ellis Dental and schedule an appointment. While more than likely your tooth sensitivity is caused by something easily corrected, we want to ensure nothing serious is occurring.