What Makes Teeth Sensitive to Cold? Main Causes and Prevention Tips

Understanding Tooth Sensitivity to Cold: Main Causes and Prevention Tips

Tooth sensitivity, especially to cold temperatures, is an annoyance that affects millions. Sensitivity ranges from mild irritation to severe pain when consuming hot or cold foods and drinks.

But what exactly causes some teeth to become extremely sensitive to cold? And how do you know if your situation is serious enough to require dental intervention?

This article explores the common culprits behind cold tooth sensitivity, when it may indicate larger issues, and both at-home and in-office methods to reduce discomfort.

Dentin Hypersensitivity Explained

Dentin hypersensitivity is the medical term for increased sensitivity along the dentin portion of your teeth just beneath the enamel layer. Dentin contains thousands of microscopic fluid filled tubes that lead right to the tooth's nerve center.

Normally, dentin tubules are covered by protective enamel or gum tissue. But when exposed by factors like receding gums, the opened tubes transmit external stimuli straight to the nerve, resulting in sharp pains from thermal, chemical, or mechanical triggers.

What Triggers Sudden Sensitivity to Cold?

There are several potential causes of dentin exposure leading to inflated sensitivity to cold:

• Gum recession - Pulling away gum tissue exposes root surfaces and dentinal tubules.
• Tooth grinding - Chips away protecting enamel to reveal sensitive interior layers.
• Tooth whitening products - Can permeate enamel and irritate inner tooth structures.
• Dental erosion - Acidic foods and drinks break down enamel over time.
• Cracked teeth - Fractures allow external stimuli direct access to inner nerves.
• Recent dental work - Temporary sensitivity after procedures like fillings is common.

Ask your dentist if any of these factors seem to be contributing to new onset pain from hot or cold stimulation.

When to Worry About Sensitive Teeth

Mild tooth sensitivity that only arises occasionally may just be an annoyance you can live with. But recurring or worsening sensitivity could be signaling issues requiring professional help, like:

• Tooth decay or infection - Cavities and dental abscesses can inflame nerves.
• Damaged fillings - Defective restorations allow leakage to inner tooth.
• Loose or cracked crowns - Allows exposure of the remaining natural tooth structure.
• Periodontal disease progression - More gum pullback amplifies sensitivity.
• Nerve inflammation - Could require root canal therapy if severe.

Schedule an exam if cold sensitivity lingers longer than a few weeks, continues getting worse, disrupts sleep or normal functions like eating, or is accompanied by dental pain. Prompt treatment prevents bigger problems down the road.

What Makes Teeth Sensitive to Cold Temperatures?

Understanding what allows some teeth to readily conduct hot and cold while others do not relies on tooth anatomy and nerve physiology. Here are the main reasons teeth tend to be more sensitive to cold versus heat or pressure:

Size of Dentinal Tubules

The diameter of opened dentin tubules influences sensitivity levels. Wider tubules allow faster and more inflammation-causing fluid shifts in response to thermal stimuli.

Studies found average tubule diameters near sensitive tooth sites measured almost double that of non-sensitive areas.

Direction of Dentin Tubules

The orientation of opened dentinal tubules also impacts sensitivity. Tubules positioned perpendicular to the exterior enamel surface provide direct access for external exposures to reach the tooth's inner nerve network.

Oblique or parallel tubule positioning helps block and slow irritant penetration. Unfortunately genetics plays a large role in natural tubule alignment.

Properties of Nerves

Research reveals sensitive teeth have eight times higher density of nerve fibers by volume in the inner pulp region compared to non-sensitive teeth.

More nerve fibers equates to increased neural sensitivity and lowered pain thresholds from minor insults like short-duration cold stimulation.

Reflex Reactions

Sudden cold application causes fluid within dentinal tubules to rapidly contract inward towards the tooth's center. This activates nerve mechanoreceptors that relay discomfort signals.

Meanwhile, hot fluids have the opposite effect of expanding tubule fluid outwards, producing less irritation. The intensity and speed of cold fluid shifts irritates sensitive nerves more.

Tips to Reduce Tooth Sensitivity at Home

Before assuming you need complex dental treatments, try these self-care tips first at home to calm sensitive teeth:

Use Desensitizing Toothpaste

Look for brands containing inert minerals like stannous fluoride or strontium chloride to safely occlude open tubules.

Potassium nitrate toothpastes also help by calming frayed dental nerves.

Avoid Trigger Foods and Drinks

Prevent pain flare ups by limiting intake of acidic or thermal items. Drink beverages with a straw to bypass sensitive zones.

Rinse With Fluoride

Swishing over-the-counter fluoride rinses leaves a protective mineral layer atop enamel to dampen sensitivity.

Try Teeth Whitening Strips

Whitening strip products often contain potassium nitrate for desensitivity and enamel strengthening while brightening.

Wear a Night Guard

Custiom dental night guards cushion against grinding and prevent microcracks that exacerbate sensitivity.

Give home remedies at least 2-4 weeks before expecting noticeable improvements in tooth sensitivity.

Professional Treatments for Sensitive Teeth

If self-care steps fail to provide adequate relief from temperature triggered tooth sensitivity, visiting your dentist offers more definitive solutions.

In-Office Desensitizers

Dentists can professionally apply concentrated fluoride varnish or low viscosity resin sealants to quickly plug open tubule sites.

These clinic-only desensitizing products offer stronger and longer lasting sensitivity relief compared to drugstore pastes.

Bonded Fillings

Replacing defective old silver amalgam fillings with modern bonded composite resins prevents leakage from re-exposing inner tooth structures.

Crowns and Veneers

Capping vulnerable teeth with porcelain or ceramic caps conceals inner sensitivity by rebuilding protective enamel layers.

Thin shell veneers work similarly but are less invasive by preserving more natural tooth.

Gum Grafts

Surgically grafting donor gum tissue recovers areas of gum pullback, blocking dentinal tubules from open air and fluids.

This regenerative technique resolves sensitivity originating from excessive gum recession.

Nerve Treatments

For severe longstanding sensitivity causing chronic discomfort, root canal therapy or tooth extraction may be required if decay or cracks extend too deeply.

This removes the nerve completely but does require eventual tooth replacement to avoid functional issues.

Outlook for Relief from Cold Sensitive Teeth

Temperature related tooth sensitivity arises due to opened pathways for irritation along exposed dentin surfaces.

Mild cases can be managed well through diligent oral hygiene and over-the-counter pastes. But worsening sensitivity deserves assessment to catch bigger problems early and prevent permanent damage.

The good news is a wide array of treatments, both at home and professionally, provide good chance for relief from annoying sensitive teeth.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.