Do you feel a shooting pain in your teeth when eating or drinking something hot? Does the thought of biting into ice cream or a cold hard apple make you wince? Sensitive teeth can be a burden for many people and possible causes include tooth decay (cavities), fractured teeth, worn fillings, gum disease, worn tooth enamel or exposed tooth root.
In most cases teeth are sensitive because of dental erosion, which is the loss of tooth enamel. Enamel is the hard outer coating of a tooth, which protects the sensitive dentine underneath. If the enamel is worn away or eroded, this dentine is exposed which can lead to pain and sensitivity. Erosion can be caused by your diet (frequent consumption of high sugar or high acid food or drink), tooth brushing habits (brushing too hard), tooth grinding, certain medical conditions and eating disorders.
Fortunately this can be avoided by having regular dental examinations and maintaining a good daily hygiene regime.