Sensitive teeth aaaargh!

[Luckymum]

Does anyone suffer with really sensitive teeth?

Mine have always been sensitive to chocolate (probably not a bad thing), but these last two weeks everything sets them off, even bananas! I've hardly eaten anything today its that bad I use Sensodyne but does anyone have any other tips......and do Sensodyne make a mouthwash?

[Lisa78]

There are some mouthwashes for sensitive teeth - DH, aka hypochondriac - got some when he decided he had sensitive teeth (he didn't like the taste and stopped using it, but no matter, his sensitive teeth had miraculously recovered!) My dentist advises rubbing sensodyne on and leaving a couple of minutes, but I only have one or two that go ballistic when hot, cold or chocolate hit

[JanH]

There is a toothpaste called - eek, I've forgotten - something-phat, you can get it from your dentist, and it has a lot more fluoride than normal toothpaste. My dentist told me to use it all the time in place of ordinary toothpaste - keep it in your mouth as long as poss and don't rinse, just spit. It's supposed to rebuild the enamel.

My worst thing is icecream - have to hold it in the middle of my mouth and let it melt - makes conversation interesting!

[GeorginaA]

Yes I have dreadfully sensitive teeth and many of the sensitive products don't actually help me. However I have found that a combination of sensodyne gentle whitening and normal listerine seem to do the trick - I dread to think what chemical compounds combine to do it, but other sensodyne products and other mouthwashes in various combinations just didn't seem to do anything!!

[jasper]

Rubbing sensodyne into the teeth and leaving it is a good idea - you can do it overnight.
Probably duraphat, Janh - great stuff.
Also ask at the chemist for fluorigard mouthwash and use as directed. It is great for sensitivity.

[prettycandles]

I thought that you shouldn't leave Sensodyne in your mouth overnight, at least not regularly, because it has a fairly high sodium content. But I'm not certain. Also that it's not healthy because you evenutally swallow too much fluoride. But again, I'm not certain of my facts.

My gums keep disappearing (shrinking spurts?) which causes dreadfully sensitive teeth, and I do find that Sensodyne does help eventually, but I'll be trying the fluoriguard as well.

Someone mentioned Xylitol to me as a good antiseptic, and said that there are toothpastes with it. Jasper?

[jasper]

Don't worry, a small smear of sensodyne left overnight on the sensitive bits will do you no harm, and you won't have to do it for evermore.
Xylitol has an anticaries action by making the bacteria in your plaque less likely to rot your teeth but it won't help sensitivity.

If you have a couple of persistent areas of sensitivity your dentist can paint on a very concentrated fluoride varnish, or some bonding agent which will help a lot.

[zebra]

Told my sensitive teeth came from over-zealous brushing. More gentle teeth cleaning has helped me more than anything else.

[SueW]

I now think over-brushing has been the root of all my troubles. I was amazed following DD's last visit to the dentist and his demo to her of brushing, how much difference it made to my teeth to follow the same advice.

[Luckymum]

SueW, interesting point about the over-brushing.....persevering with the mouthwash and Sensodyne at night for now.

Thnaks for your suggestions

[prettycandles]

Thanks, Jasper.