Got Cold Sensitivity?

     Cold sensitivity can really hurt! It usually happens because the gums recede and root surface is exposed. A cavity can also cause it. Make sure it's not a cavity before you take any of the advice in this post. The root of the tooth has pores that open to the nerve inside the tooth, so cold will cause the nerve to hurt.

Sensitivity Toothpaste

     Sensitivity toothpastes contain chemicals that are supposed to get to the nerve and prevent the nerve from firing. It seems like a goofy strategy but they can be somewhat effective. The effect won't last very long.

Crest Sensi-Stop Strips

     The strips contain oxalates which form crystals which block the pores. "1 strip, 10 minutes, 1 month protection." That will depend on the amount of exposure to acids that dissolve away the crystals. That includes mostly acid from plaque and also from foods- citric acid from fruit, phosphoric and carbonic from soda, acetic from pickles. They come in a 3 pack for about $35.

Fluoride

    This is my favorite solution. When the gums recede beyond the enamel, the root surface is not only susceptible to cold but also to decay. Fluoride protects against both. It will block the pores and also soak into the tooth for decay protection. 

   Crest Pro-Health and some of the Sensodyne pastes have stannous fluoride which I think is best. Boring chemistry alert! The rest of this paragraph is only for nerds. It's too boring for normal people. Stannous fluoride is better because it has substantivity- meaning it will chemically bond to teeth and gums so everything is exposed to fluoride for hours. Other forms of fluoride wash away in minutes. Crest had stannous in it in the 50's, but it caused staining. The staining would polish right off with a professional cleaning, but that didn't help sales much. Now the genius chemists at P&G have solved the problem. It's something about a ring structure that surrounds the stannous fluoride molecule, still gives the protection but prevents staining.

   The strategy is to use the Pro-Health every time you brush. At night, don't rinse after you brush, go to bed, salivary production decreases and you get several hours of fluoride exposure. Continue to use the stannous paste because acids continue to etch it out of the tooth. For severe cold sensitivity, you can rub a bit of the toothpaste on the spot several times a day. It might even sting a little, that's just the fluoride going into the pores. Keep using the toothpaste and cold things should be much more confortable.