Bonding Agents and Tooth Desensitization

Sensitive teeth can cause several problems, most of which are not very painful but are annoying in nature nevertheless.

People with sensitive teeth find it difficult to consume food and drinks which are at extreme temperatures and this ruins their dietary experience.

There cannot be anything worse than the inability to savor food and drinks. This inability also tends to psychologically affect you in a negative manner and could demoralize you– which you wouldn’t really want.

What Causes Sensitive Teeth?

Dentin forms the surface that is underneath your gums. Over time your gums will begin to pull back, and this exposes the dentin to external stimuli more severely, resulting in a case of sensitive teeth. Dentin is what connects your teeth to your nervous system and helps you distinguish between different tastes and react to them.

Whenever you consume something of extreme taste or temperature, it causes severe unease to your dentin. For example you will notice, that whenever you bite on an ice cream it hurts your teeth.

There can be several causes for your teeth to become more sensitive than they usually are:

• Your teeth are subject to wear and tear, especially because of brushing too hard or using the wrong kind of toothbrush. Grinding your teeth can also be harmful.
• Your teeth decay along the gums and start getting weaker.
• Gum disease, otherwise known as Gingivitis, can lead to inflammatory gums which lead to them being pulled back.
• Some teeth bleaching agents can cause extreme sensitivity of teeth. It depends on their concentration.
• Broken or damaged teeth can sometimes contain a bacteria that sensitizes teeth even further to external stimuli. There can be several reasons for broken or damaged teeth- from physical accidents to infections.
• As a person reaches the age of 25-30, his teeth becomes more sensitive because of his tendency to consume different kinds of food every day.
• Plaque buildup around the root can lead to increased sensitivity, especially reactive to temperatures.
• The consumption of acidic foods like aerated beverages and fruits that contain acid can increase the sensitivity of your teeth.
• Dental processes are commonly known to cause increased tooth sensitivity as a side effect, but this is only temporary.

What Are Bonding Agents?

Bonding agents, or Desensitizing agents, are substances which are applied to sensitive teeth. They are usually sold in small bottles along with fine brushes which are used for application of the agent to the teeth. These agents are used to nullify the sensitivity of teeth.

If a patient’s teeth are experiencing more than just a mild increase in sensitivity to extremes, these bonding agents are recommended by dentists.

These desensitizing agents cannot be used if the patient is suffering from an increased sensitivity because of reasons like tooth decay, infections, and plaque. In most cases they only work if the patient is suffering from tooth sensitivity due to bleaching activity.

These bonding agents are also used on freshly cut dentin, which is used in restorative dental surgeries like that of fillings and crowning. This is to ensure that the patient remains numb during the dental procedure and suffers less pain consequentially.