Dental hypersensitivity, the "common cold" of dentistry is a problem most dental professionals see every day. As dental professionals we know 1 in every 3 adults suffer from sensitive teeth. The most common is the reaction to hot/cold drinks and foods, sweet and sour drinks and foods and tactile stimulus such as tooth brushing or dental instruments.
How do we help aid our patients to rid them of this daily persistent pain? We recommend a sensitivity toothpaste. Which one? The most common is Sensodyne. Followed by Crest Sensitivity, Colgate and other brands.
The makers of Sensodyne (GlaxoSmithKline) have reformulated and updated their Sensodyne toothpaste. Taking it from "your grandmother's toothpaste" to an "all ages" use toothpaste. New research shows sensitivity by erosion is a leading cause of sensitivity in adults 30 to 40 years of age; I have seen this occurring in patients even younger. Why? The population is drinking coffee, soda, juices, energy drinks and wine. All acidic drinks!! All day long!
After 33 years of practicing dental hygiene I have learned recently that after drinking these acidic drinks that you should not brush your teeth for 30 minutes! Well frankly, some hygienists would be running to brush and clear these acids out before they could do any damage(thanks to histology class). But back then in school we we concentrating on the acid and the plague formulation that equals decay. Now sensitivity and erosion (the gradual wearing away of enamel) is on the rise due to the same acids.
However GlaxoSmithKline, the makers of Sensodyne toothpaste believes brushing directly after drinking these acidic beverages cause faster breakdown of the tooth. Pondering this idea a bit, I realized how many patients we refer to a power toothbrush due to their over aggressive brushing habits! So when you drink the acidic beverage and then brush with force, this is like adding fuel to the fire!
We dental professionals need to let our patients know Sensodyne is not their "grandmother's toothpaste" any longer. All ages complain of sensitivity. Also the taste has improved with seven flavors to chose from! Decreased sensitivity can be noticed in 2 weeks, in 4 weeks the results are even better and as it becomes a daily use toothpaste the results last. This product us indeed to be thought of as a therapeutic toothpaste to be used daily for the treatment of dental hypersensitivity.
Look for my future blog discussing the new Sensodyne Pro Enamel and Pro Enamel for children, making the Sensodyne product line truly one for all ages.
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