What Tooth Sensitivity To Hot And Cold Means

Teeth can be sensitive to cold and hot for many reasons. An important distinction is that if a tooth is sensitive to heat, it is more of a problem than if sensitive to cold.

When you drink a cup of coffee or a bowl of soup and your tooth hurts it is usually from a nerve inside the tooth that is dying or has died. The heat expands gas inside the tooth and it is painful. This informs us that for some reason, like decay, a fracture or trauma, the nerve and blood flow inside the tooth is compromised and a root canal is needed to fix the situation. This procedure can actually be done quite easily.

Reasons for cold sensitivity are

• Gum recession ( age related or from brushing too hard) that has exposed the root of the tooth normally covered by gum. The root becomes highly sensitive.
• Fracture of a filling or a leaky filling
• Fracture of the tooth itself
• Wearing away of the enamel on the biting surface of a tooth that allows cold to reach the middle part of the tooth called the dentin
• Leaking margin of a crown
• Open contacts ( spaces) between teeth
• Periodontal disease that causes gums to shrink and expose root surfaces
• The nerve inside the tooth is dying or injured in some way
• New, deep filling or crown that temporarily has caused nerve hypersensitivity
• Decay in the tooth

These are the main reasons a tooth may be cold sensitive. The good news is that treatment at our office can alleviate all of these conditions. First we must diagnose the problem, then we will discuss the best treatment plan for you.