Having a dental emergency? Most dental emergencies are nowhere near the severity of other medical emergencies.

In most cases, it’s the potential of extreme pain that is the issue, not health. You should still call your dentist right away.

In this article, we’ll address the issue of what to do if you notice that your teeth have become sensitive to hot or cold drinks and/or food. While this may not be an emergency, it’s important that we at least check out what’s causing this and what can be done about it. Here are some tips from Dr Downing:

Why Causes My Teeth to be Sensitive?

There are several reasons why your teeth may have become sensitive.

• A cavity or hole in your tooth or teeth.
• Sensitivity from brushing your teeth too hard and possibly wearing down the gum and tooth.
• It could be due to you using whiting or baking soda tooth pastes that can cause abrasion.
• It could be due to damage from grinding or acid wear (usually diet or reflux issues).

What to Do

• Don’t panic, this is not usually an emergency.
• Use Sensodyne or Colgate sensitive to help desensitise the area, you can even use the tooth paste and rub it on the area.
• Stop brushing too hard or using abrasive toothpastes
• If you grind your teeth, make sure you see a dentist as you may need to have a custom-made splint made for you.

If you experience a non-urgent dental emergency, it is still recommended that you contact your dentist as soon as possible. While sensitive teeth is not considered an emergency and you have no pain, it’s worthwhile mentioning what you should know about dental emergencies. With most dental emergencies, severe pain may be a factor. If you can’t manage the pain without painkillers you might consider Panadol and/or ibuprofen – but only if you have no previous allergies or medications that can interact with these painkillers. You can check with your doctor and pharmacy but these two painkillers are the most commonly used to curb dental pain. Codeine or tramadol can be added in extreme cases but you will need a prescription for this.

We are living in a unique time where we are all isolated from one another. The last thing we want our patients to do is live with pain or infection during this time. We know what to do and how to handle a dental emergency. If you have a dental emergency, please do not hesitate to contact us, we are here to give you guidance and support.