A short sharp pain from ice cream or cold air is the sign of sensitive teeth. Why it happens, how to tell it from a cavity, what helps at home within 2–4 weeks and when to see the dentist. What tooth sensitivity feels like
A short, sharp pain from cold, heat, sweet or sour, from cold air or from brushing, gone within seconds once the trigger is removed. That distinguishes sensitivity from a cavity or pulpitis, where the pain lasts longer, starts on its own or gets worse at night. Roughly one adult in three has sensitive teeth, most often between 25 and 45.
Why a tooth hurts with cold
Enamel covers the crown of the tooth, gum and cementum cover the root. Underneath lies dentine, tissue threaded with microscopic tubules that lead to the nerve. While the dentine is covered the nerve stays quiet. When enamel thins or the gum recedes and exposes the root, cold and sugar travel down the tubules to the nerve, and it answers with pain.
- Receding gums from a hard brush, aggressive back-and-forth brushing or gum inflammation; the exposed neck of the tooth is the most sensitive spot.
- Enamel erosion from acidic drinks (fizzy drinks, citrus juice, wine), frequent reflux or vomiting, and brushing right after something acidic.
- Grinding at night (bruxism) wears the enamel on the chewing surfaces; a night guard helps.
- Whitening: sensitivity afterwards is normal and passes within 1–2 weeks.
- After a filling or a cleaning: 1–2 weeks of sensitivity is normal; if it lasts a month or hurts on biting, the filling needs checking.
- A cavity or a cracked tooth: then the sensitivity is only a symptom and only treatment helps.
What to do at home: a 2–4 week plan
- Toothpaste for sensitive teeth with potassium nitrate or stannous fluoride, twice a day for at least a month without a break; it calms the nerve and seals the tubules. At night you can rub it onto the sensitive spot and leave it.
- A soft brush and small circular movements at the gum line, no "sawing".
- Wait 30–60 minutes after anything acidic before brushing; drink acidic drinks through a straw and with meals, not in sips all day.
- A fluoride mouthwash once a day.
- If you grind at night, a night guard; tell your dentist.
If there is no improvement after a month, if one particular tooth hurts, or if the pain lasts longer than half a minute, the cause is most likely not "simple sensitivity".
What the dentist does
- Examination and X-ray (consultation 20–40 EUR, X-ray 10–15 EUR) to rule out decay, a crack or a defective filling.
- Fluoride varnish or a desensitising gel on the sensitive areas seals the dentine tubules for several months; this is often done during a hygiene visit.
- A filling over the exposed neck when enamel is worn or the gum has receded deeply: 90–130 EUR, covers the dentine completely.
- Cavity treatment when sensitivity is its symptom: cavity treatment.
- If the pain has become lasting and throbbing, the nerve is inflamed; then pulpitis treatment helps, not toothpaste.
When to come straight away
If sensitivity appeared suddenly in one tooth, if it hurts to bite, if there is swelling at the tooth, or if heat hurts longer than cold, these are symptoms of a cavity or pulpitis, not sensitivity. Call +371 22428688 on weekdays 8:00–20:00 for the earliest available slot. We treat in English.
See also: dental hygiene 80–85 EUR · tartar · teeth whitening · all prices.