The mercury is plummeting and the winter weather is well and truly making its mark on Great Britain. Which may bring beautiful scenery, but can also mean all manner of pain and discomfort for millions.
If you’ve ever got the feeling your sensitive teeth seem to be so much more sensitive in the wintertime, you certainly aren’t the only one. When you think about it, the whole thing makes perfect sense. Your teeth are already sensitive to hot and cold at the best of times, meaning that the freezing-cold air being drawn into your mouth will inevitably cause a certain amount of pain and discomfort.
In most instances, tooth sensitivity isn’t anything to worry about and can be managed relatively easily. Simply by arming yourself with the very best electric toothbrush for sensitive teeth and a high-quality sensitive teeth mouthwash and toothpaste, you stand every chance of bringing the problem under control. Nevertheless, it is a good idea to have your dentist give you a thorough check-up, just to ensure there aren’t any underlying causes that may need to be addressed.
So for those looking to fight back against winter-worsened tooth-sensitivity, here’s a brief overview of just a few essential tips and guidelines from the experts:
1) Breathe Through Your Nose
First and foremost, one of the best ways of preventing cold air from causing pain and discomfort to your teeth is to breathe through your nose. Thus bypassing the problem entirely. And as it is generally recommended to breathe through your nose for overall health reasons anyway, it can be a good habit to get into at this time of year.
2) Drink Hot and Cold Drinks With A Straw
If drinking anything that’s particularly hot or cold, you might want to think about doing so with a straw. During the winter, you may find that your teeth are particularly sensitive to hot and cold temperatures alike. So once again, the best way of avoiding the problem is to bypass it entirely. Using a straw can help minimise exposure to hot and cold liquids, making them much more comfortable to consume.
3) Get Plenty of Vitamin D
It’s important to ensure that you take in the recommended daily amount of vitamin D, which performs a crucial role in building and maintaining strong bones and teeth. During the more pleasant months of the year, we do tend to get at least a bit of vitamin D from sunlight. Given that there isn’t a great deal of sunlight to go around in the wintertime, it may be necessary to supplement your intake accordingly.
4) Avoid Dry Mouth
Whether it’s breathing through your mouth, failing to drink enough water or simply overdoing it with the caffeine or alcohol, you may find yourself experiencing problems with dry mouth from time to time. Despite not being a specifically dangerous condition in its own right, a dry mouth has the potential to lead to any number of problems. As germs and bacteria build up, your mouth is unable to fight them efficiently and thus they are free to inflict harm on your teeth and gums. Hence another reason why it’s important to get into the habit of breathing through your nose!
5) Brush With Care
In many instances, dentists recommend that those who suffer from sensitive teeth switch to a softer toothbrush in general. In any case, brushing with care during the winter months in particular comes highly recommended. As your teeth will already be more sensitive than normal, you need to be especially careful not to inflict any further damage on the enamel that protects the surface of the teeth. Brushing too often or too vigorously having the potential to do more harm than good.
6) Use Quality Toothpaste
Make no mistake about it – every type of sensitive toothpaste on the market is most certainly not having the same high-quality standard. In fact, the differences can be night and day. Be sure to check out what’s been reviewed and recommended online, or better yet speak to your dentist and ask for their own recommendations. There are some absolutely fantastic toothpastes on the market right now that can make a difference from the very first time you use them.
7) Use A Fluoride Treatment
Once again under advisement from your dentist, you may be able to pick up an effective and reliable fluoride treatment to help bring sensitivity under control. In some instances, the very best products are only available with prescription – the vast majority being sold only by pharmacists. So be sure to ask your dentist or your local pharmacist for their own recommendations, as a high-quality fluoride treatment could make a big difference.
Take advantage of fluoride treatments like gels and rinses. These treatments will strengthen your tooth enamel and protect your teeth from possible problems. When your teeth are covered with the gel, the nerves inside of your teeth will be protected.
8) Control Your Sugar and Acid Intake
Sugars and acids can have a detrimental effect on the health and protection of your teeth at the best of times. Nevertheless, they can prove to be particularly painful during the winter, when you may already be experiencing heightened discomfort. As such, along with taking the necessary measures to fight sugars and acids following consumption, you may also want to pay closer attention to your intake of sugar and acid.
9) Beware Whitening
We all want white teeth but not if it comes at the expense of a pain-free winter. More often than not, quality teeth whitening kits and treatments in general have a habit of worsening sensitivity. Which, for obvious reasons, isn’t a good thing at this time of year. If you intend to go ahead and whiten your teeth, do so under the advisement of your dentist.
10) Get a Mouthguard
Last but not least, it also worth bearing in mind the fact that your sensitivity may be caused or at least worsened by teeth grinding. A problem which typically happens during the night without even realising it, the symptoms of bruxism can be effectively treated with a simple mouthguard. Once again however, you may want to speak to your dentist to ensure there are no underlying problems that need to be addressed.
