Your Child’s Tooth Sensitivity & How To Manage It

Tooth sensitivity can be painful and can interfere with your child’s life. Teeth can be sensitive to sugary foods, hot or cold temperatures or even to air touching the teeth when your child breathes. This can negatively impact your child’s diet, speech, and day-to-day life.

In most cases, tooth sensitivity is caused by the wearing down of the tooth’s enamel, which serves to protect the nerve endings of the teeth. Once the enamel wears down, these nerve endings have been exposed, causing the sensitivity and pain.

Helping My Child’s Tooth Sensitivity

There are a few different ways that you can help manage your child’s sensitive teeth. Below are a few of these ways:

• Toothpaste – This is the easiest and cheapest place to start. There are many different types of toothpaste made specifically to help ease tooth sensitivity. It doesn’t matter what brand you choose, as long as the toothpaste contains Potassium Nitrate, which is the active ingredient that will help shield the nerve endings.
• Avoiding Acids – Highly acidic foods and drinks can quickly wear away and weaken tooth enamel. Avoid serving your child sodas, juices, pickled food, and other highly acidic foods. Make sure your child brushes his or her teeth after eating acidic meals.
• Sealants – Be sure to ask your child’s pediatric dentist if he or she is a good candidate for sealants. Sealants are clear, liquid, resin, which is applied to the teeth and hardened, forming a thin protective barrier. While highly effective, sealants will wear off over time and need to be reapplied.
• Gentle Brushing – Your child could be brushing his or her teeth too roughly, which can also wear away enamel. Encourage your child to brush gently and for a full two minutes at a time.

If your child complains of tooth pain or sensitivity, please don’t hesitate to contact Firestone Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics. Our Firestone, Colorado children’s dentist is committed to your child’s health, safety, and comfort!