What to do if your teeth hurt when brushing your teeth

Pain when brushing your teeth is common. And often it does not depend on what kind of brush you use - manual or modern electric. In this article we will tell you why teeth can hurt during daily hygiene procedures and what needs to be done in such a situation.

It hurts to brush your teeth - what could this mean?

Normally, healthy teeth do not hurt when brushing, and in general the oral care procedure does not cause discomfort. If pain does occur, you should definitely consult a doctor to determine the cause.

Why does pain occur?

Caries, pulpitis and other dental diseases.

If you have untreated teeth in your mouth, they are likely to bother you when brushing. The closer the lesion is to the dental nerve, the more acute the pain. The only way to help in this case is to urgently consult a dentist and treat the aching tooth.

Injury.

After a fall or impact, tooth enamel may be chipped and the crown portion may be damaged. Depending on the extent of the damage, pain may be constant or occur only upon contact with the tooth - for example, when brushing with a toothbrush. After any injury where teeth may have been damaged, a visit to the dentist is mandatory. If treatment is not started in time, a serious inflammatory process may develop.

Exposing the neck of the tooth.

The neck is the area of the tooth where the crown portion meets the root. Normally, it is hidden under the gum. With inflammatory diseases of the gums, the neck is exposed, and any touch to the dentin in this area causes acute pain.

Periodontitis.

With this disease, the gums and other tissues that support the tooth become inflamed. The disease is accompanied by ongoing pain, which usually intensifies when touched.

These are just a few of the reasons that can cause tooth pain when brushing. All of them are pathological and require professional dental treatment. In most cases, after proper therapy, the pain stops and brushing your teeth ceases to cause any discomfort.

Do your teeth hurt after brushing? Let's figure it out!

A snow-white smile and beautiful, straight teeth these days have become not just very popular, but also an extremely necessary feature of appearance, on which the quality of a person’s social communication, his professional career, and success in his personal life depend. Nowadays, many people use the services of specialists working in the field of aesthetic dentistry and regularly undergo professional dental cleaning. But not everyone is aware of the intricacies and features of such a procedure, so they wonder why their teeth hurt after brushing , for example, with the advertised safe ultrasound?
Learn more about the benefits of teeth whitening and teeth cleaning

Why does it hurt to brush healthy teeth if you have hypersensitivity?

Sometimes a dental examination does not reveal caries, pulpitis, periodontitis and other diseases. But the pain during cleaning remains. In this case, most likely, we are talking about increased sensitivity of the teeth.

According to statistics, more than 50% of the population have increased tooth sensitivity. This is the name for a condition in which dentin, a porous layer located under the enamel, is exposed. It contains tubules - microchannels leading to nerve endings. When the dentin tubules are exposed, the nerves become vulnerable to any irritants, the tooth reacts with acute pain to cleaning, touching hot and cold food. Dental hypersensitivity can occur for several reasons:

eating sour or sweet foods,
too much pressure when cleaning or incorrect selection of bristles stiffness;
habit of grinding teeth;
professional teeth cleaning, whitening.

These reasons can cause thinning of the enamel, promote the growth of bacteria and have a destructive effect on the gums, resulting in increased tooth sensitivity.

This condition causes serious discomfort to a person and prevents them from living a normal life. Ordinary everyday activities - eating, brushing and rinsing teeth, exposure to cold air - cause pain and distract attention from other activities. People with this problem find it difficult to concentrate on work or school, because the slightest reason can trigger another attack of pain.

Causes of toothache

If your teeth were completely healthy before the planned cleaning, after the hygienic procedure they practically do not hurt, although now it is rare to find a person whose dental condition can be considered impeccable in all respects. Many people have caries, there is increased sensitivity due to tooth enamel that is too thin or affected by some disease, and many other dental problems.

During the process of professional cleaning, painful teeth will certainly be disturbed, which will result in their increased sensitivity and, consequently, the patient will experience pain for some time while talking or eating. Moreover, during the hardware cleaning of diseased teeth, when they are exposed to powder compounds, during the polishing process, the patient will experience very unpleasant sensations, comparable to “live” dental treatment.

The salvation is local anesthesia, which will eliminate pain both during the process of the specialist performing each of the stages of cleaning, and for the first time after completion of the procedure. However, after this a person runs the risk of encountering a problem such as severe toothache, therefore, in order to prevent such a situation, it is better to carry out preliminary treatment of the oral cavity, and only then begin cleaning.

The unprofessionalism of the dentist can also cause pain after brushing your teeth, since manipulations performed illiterately or incorrectly can damage tooth enamel. This leads to increased sensitivity and the development of caries, and to avoid such a problem, we recommend contacting the specialists of our clinic, who have many positive reviews and are attentive to each of their patients, trying to choose the optimal way to cleanse the oral cavity of plaque and tartar with the least undesirable consequences .

What to do if brushing your teeth hurts?

The first step is to determine the cause of hypersensitivity with the help of a dentist. If no dental diseases are detected, the doctor will recommend effective ways to combat hypersensitivity.

Here are some tips to help relieve pain at home:

If possible, eliminate triggers. Eat less sweets and sours, make sure the food is at a comfortable temperature.
Use a desensitizing paste. The components contained in it dampen hypersensitivity by filling microchannels in dentin. The method of using this paste is different from what we are used to. It is squeezed onto a brush, onto a finger or a piece of cotton wool, after which it is carefully and evenly applied to the surface of sensitive teeth from all sides. The procedure is usually performed before bed; there is no need to rinse your mouth after it so that the active substance penetrates the dentin tissue. The pain when brushing your teeth will become less pronounced or disappear completely after several weeks of regular use of the desensitizing paste.
Use a fluoride rinse or gel once a day. These agents also reduce sensitivity.
Choose a toothbrush with soft bristles and do not apply too much pressure. Many people believe that the harder you press on the brush, the better the cleaning result will be. But strong pressure and very hard bristles over time thin the tooth enamel and make the teeth more vulnerable and sensitive to any impact. A brush with soft bristles gently affects even thin enamel, effectively and carefully removes dirt without causing discomfort.
Take good care of your mouth. One of the causes of hypersensitivity may be poor hygiene. If you brush poorly, bacteria remain on your teeth, plaque and acid form, which irritate your teeth. Therefore, it is important to properly and regularly care for your oral cavity. It is necessary to brush your teeth twice a day with a high-quality brush, clean the interdental spaces with dental floss or an irrigator, remove plaque from the tongue and cheeks, and use a special mouthwash.

All these measures will help reduce tooth sensitivity and improve quality of life.

Sometimes your teeth start to hurt when brushing after a visit to the dentist. Procedures such as bleaching and professional cleaning can increase sensitivity. To avoid this, dentists recommend preparing for the procedure in advance by treating your teeth with a desensitizing paste. And after whitening, you need to follow the dentist’s recommendations for several days. It is not recommended to carry out such procedures more than once a year.

Clinical researches

Repeated clinical studies have proven that regular use of preventive toothpaste ASEPTA ACTIVE for a month can reduce bleeding gums by 60%, improve the overall condition of the oral cavity by 44% and reduce inflammation by 33%.

Sources:

Clinical and laboratory assessment of the influence of domestic therapeutic and prophylactic toothpaste based on plant extracts on the condition of the oral cavity in patients with simple marginal gingivitis. Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Elovikova T.M.1, Candidate of Chemical Sciences, Associate Professor Ermishina E.Yu. 2, Doctor of Technical Sciences Associate Professor Belokonova N.A. 2 Department of Therapeutic Dentistry USMU1, Department of General Chemistry USMU2
Study of the clinical effectiveness of treatment and prophylactic agents of the Asepta line in the treatment of inflammatory periodontal diseases (A.I. Grudyanov, I.Yu. Aleksandrovskaya, V.Yu. Korzunina) A.I. GRUDYANOV, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Prof., Head of Department I.Yu. ALEXANDROVSKAYA, Ph.D. V.Yu. KORZUNINA, asp. Department of Periodontology, Central Research Institute of Dentistry and Maxillofacial Surgery, Rosmedtekhnologii, Moscow
Report on the determination/confirmation of the preventive properties of personal oral hygiene products “ASEPTA PLUS” Remineralization doctor-researcher A.A. Leontyev, head Department of Preventive Dentistry, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor S.B. Ulitovsky First St. Petersburg State Medical University named after. acad. I.P. Pavlova, Department of Preventive Dentistry
Clinical studies of antisensitive toothpaste “Asepta Sensitive” (A.A. Leontyev, O.V. Kalinina, S.B. Ulitovsky) A.A. LEONTIEV, dentist O.V. KALININA, dentist S.B. ULITOVSKY, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Prof. Department of Therapeutic Dentistry, St. Petersburg State Medical University named after. acad. I.P. Pavlova

Pain during brushing due to nerve inflammation

Some patients complain of acute pain in the front teeth, which occurs when touched by a toothbrush. In addition to caries or gum disease, the complication provokes inflammation of the pulp or nerve located deep in the crown. This happens for various reasons:

After dental procedures, bacteria enter the canals, causing infections and swelling. It puts pressure on the nerve endings and causes pain.
Unpleasant sensations often begin against the background of ARVI or influenza.
The nerve can easily become cold or damaged by an impact, implant installation, or gum surgery.

In each situation, the treatment method will be radically different. If pain during brushing is caused by an infection, it is removed with the help of antibiotics, the canals are cleaned and the tooth is sealed with a filling. To alleviate the condition, you can take drugs with anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects: Ketanov, Nurofen, Ibuprofen, Nimesil, Solpadeine.

How to preserve tooth enamel

It is important to know how to care for tooth enamel to prevent the development of pathologies. Experts give advice on how to preserve tooth enamel and not cause deformation. It is necessary to adjust your diet, consume sufficient amounts of protein, calcium, fluoride and vitamin D. It is recommended to reduce sugar consumption and stop smoking.

Dentists recommend giving up the bad habit of chewing pens, pencils, and brushes. Clean daily with a soft brush that does not damage the gums. It is important to remove plaque and food particles using dental floss. Regular visits to the dentist will help prevent the development of hyperesthesia.

If a person has weak protection from nature, then it is possible to undergo a remineralization procedure according to indications. A special composition will protect the surface and reduce sensitivity. Those who regularly experience seasonal manifestations of hyperesthesia are recommended to regularly cleanse with special pastes to instantly reduce sensitivity. A medical specialist may suggest installing veneers not only to correct position and color, but also to reduce pathological sensitivity.

How to prevent pain after having your teeth cleaned by the doctor

If a painful reaction after professional cleansing is associated with individual characteristics, then after cleaning, follow these rules:

• do not consume too cold or hot food and drinks for the first 2-3 hours;

• for 24 hours do not eat foods that injure the enamel (nuts, crackers, etc.);

• for 12 hours it is not recommended to consume drinks and food that stain tooth enamel, these include coffee, tea, ketchup, red wine, etc.;

• replace your old toothbrush with a new one, and try to change it after 3 months;

• if you experience pain after brushing, stop brushing and let your gums rest;

• unbearable pain should not be tolerated; consult a doctor who will find the cause and prescribe the appropriate drug to relieve pain.