What is the best sensitive teeth treatment in Singapore?

Hi there.

I feel the important thing to note is whether your sensitivity is generalised (all or most of your teeth) or whether its localised (in 1 or 2 specific areas).

It is also important to note the level of sensitivity you experience. For instance, in my experience a mild sensitivity which happens infrequently is usually hypersensitive teeth which may be related to wear of the teeth or mild gum recession which exposes the otherwise covered root surface (where the nerve of the tooth is).

In this case, there are many desensitising agents which can be used (topical pastes used on the sensitive areas) to relieve it. Most of the more useful desensitising agents are easily found at any dental clinic.

If the sensitivity is frequent and quite uncomfortable so much so that you are avoiding areas or avoiding certain drinks or food, then it is more like that its being caused by something other than mere hypersensitivity. This may be due to cracked teeth, a broken or cracked filling, more pronounced gum recession etc , all of which can aggravate the nerve in 1 or more teeth resulting in a frequent and more pronounced discomfort.

In this case, treatment of the underlying problem is important as merely using a desensitising paste or brushing will not completely eradicate the sensitivity.

There are many factors at play which can cause teeth to be sensitive. But whats more significant is the location, intensity, duration and frequency of the sensitivity. This information will allow your dentist to better diagnose the cause, and thus, treat the underlying problem and make you sensitivity free! Visiting your dentist to have your teeth visually examined along with the information above will be very beneficial in relieving your sensitivity.

I do hope this has been of help to you

Kind regards,

Dr Hardev Singh

Thank you for your question.

There can be many reasons for your sensitivity, listed briefly as follow:

• Tooth decay
• Gum inflammation
• Cracked tooth
• Defective filling
• Nerve inflammation
• Dentine hypersensitivity (which could be due to abrasion, attrition, erosion of tooth, gum recession etc)

“What else can I do to alleviate it? Is there some procedures that could help?”

Depending on the cause of your sensitive teeth, the treatment options would differ. If it is a case of dentine hypersensitivity, you may try to:

• Exclude acidic food in your diet e.g.) oranges, wines etc to prevent erosion
• Use gentle rotary strokes to brush your teeth to prevent further abrasive wear
• Brush at least 30min-1 hour after meal time as breakdown of food produces acid which tends to soften the protective enamel layer, subjecting it to faster wear
• Apply a smear layer of your sensitive toothpaste on teeth and leave it there without rinsing off.
• There are also topical desensitising agents which your dentist can help to apply/ fillings may be placed in some cases.

However, do note that dentine hypersensitivity is a diagnosis of exclusion (i.e. it is only diagnosed as dentine hypersensitivity if no other conditions that causes sensitivity is present).

I would thus recommend seeing a dentist to find out the actual cause of teeth sensitivity in your case.

Hope this helps!