By Abdullahi Jamaa
Once in a while you feel that charged ticklish sensation, a kind of a small earthquake within your mouth and you feel like one of your teeth is falling. In a moment you start holding your jowl to cool the jitters. With this kind of experience you probably suffered from teeth sensitivity, a dental condition that is common among many people.
An ice cold drink during Ramadan’s iftar time is refreshing but for many people with sensitive teeth this experience can cause a painful jolt. Dental experts say this situation is as a result of an underlying problem that can be handled; unfortunately many people do not know how to take control.
“Sensitivity is a painful sensation that is sharp and lasting only a few seconds, often in response to a stimulus that the tooth is exposed to” says Dr. Kassim Alasow a consultant dentist at Planet Dental Clinic in Nairobi’s South C area during an interview with Smart Muslim “Sensitivity from a tooth is an indicator of an exposed dentin, the hard tissue that lies deep to the enamel”
According to a recent study teeth, sensitivity is one of the most common complaints among dental patients. It occurs when the protective layers of teeth are worn away, causing fragility, increasing sensations and sometimes pain.
This dental experience not only causes sharp pains, but it can also lead to more serious dental problems that need urgent medical interventions.
“The dentin could be exposed by diseases of the teeth such as dental caries or non-carious defects of teeth such as fracture, erosion of the enamel, abrasion or gum disease” observes Dr. Kassim
Increased consumption of sweet and cold drinks during Ramadan’s iftar time is a common instigator. The flossing that makes you wince occasionally when you sip an ice cold juice could be detrimental to your oral health too.
And as Dr. Kassim explains, when the dentin loses its protective covering, the tubules allow heat, cold, acidic or sticky foods to arouse the nerves and cells inside the tooth. This may cause hypersensitivity and sporadic ache when you chew, drink cold or hot liquids, or when you sometimes breathe through your mouth.
“Presumably, sensitivity experienced at the time of breaking the fast would be more offensive than when the same occurs at any other time because of the intense need to quench one’s thirst or hunger” Says the doctor
Since sensitivity emanates from a number of underlying causes, blaming it on Ramadan is a quixotic excuse. In the cycles of oral medicine even brushing your teeth incorrectly or too aggressively may injure your gums and expose tooth roots to sensitivity.
What can be done about this situation is a question that we have asked Dr.Kassim especially during the holy month of Ramadan when some fasting Muslims have to deal with compounding health problems.
“If one experiences tooth sensitivity, he or she should see a dentist who will then find out the cause of the sensitivity and give advice on treatment or what to avoid. However, it is natural that one avoids the offending substance (food or drink)”
The remedy to this problem lies with how committed you are to your general oral health. Teeth require a lot of care and maintenance just like other parts of your body. Experts say there is a lot that you can do to embrace an effective oral hygiene.
As prevention is better than cure, your diet and the type of brush you use daily will have a profound impact on your teeth.
“Preventing tooth sensitivity involves adopting the correct dietary habits and tooth brushing techniques. Frequent consumption of fizzy drinks should be avoided” asserts Dr. Kassim
Next time when you experience that jaw-jolting sensation, ask your dentist if you have any fundamental dental problem that needs immediate attention before things get out of hand.
Read the full interview with Dr. Kassim Alasow :
The Plu: What is teeth sensitivity, how do you feel when you have it?
Dr. Kassim: Sensitivity is a painful sensation that is sharp and lasting only a few seconds, often in response to a stimulus that the tooth is exposed to. The stimulus can be cold, hot, sweet, or sour drink or merely cold air entering the mouth. Such pain characteristically resolves once the stimulus is withdrawn from the teeth.
Sensitivity from a tooth is an indicator of exposed dentin, the hard tissue that lies deep to the enamel. The dentin could be exposed by diseases of the teeth such as dental caries or non carious defects of teeth such as fracture (arising from trauma), erosion of the enamel (caused by acidic drinks) or abrasion (caused by a foreign object such as a hard, or inappropriately used, tooth brush etc) or gum disease that has exposed the root of the tooth. Roots do not have the protective enamel, unlike the crown.
Transient sensitivity after dental treatments such as scaling or fillings is normal and usually resolves spontaneously after a few weeks. Some people misuse the term sensitivity and use it to refer to a tender tooth. Tenderness is the pain that is felt when pressure is applied to a tooth.
Smart Muslim : Many people complain about tooth sensitivity especially during Ramadan, what are the causes?
Dr. Kassim: It could be due to increased consumption of the sweet/cold drinks mentioned above; remember the culture of breaking the fast with dates or water. Presumably, sensitivity experienced at the time of breaking the fast would be more offensive than when the same occurs at any other time because of the intense need to quench ones thirst/hunger at that moment without hindrance from anything. This may give false impression of an association between fasting and tooth sensitivity. Ramadan per se would not cause sensitivity.
The first step in the treatment of any disease or condition is to eliminate the cause. Subsequent steps would depend on the extent of the damage on the tooth. Management ranges from the use of desensitizing tooth pastes to the placement of fillings on the sensitive tooth. Choice of mode of treatment depends on the cause of the sensitivity and the severity of the problem.
Smart Muslim : What kind food do we need to avoid in fear of teeth sensitivity?
Dr. Kassim: If one experiences tooth sensitivity, he/she should see a dentist who will then find out the cause of the sensitivity and give advice on treatment or what to avoid. However, it is natural that one avoids the offending substance (food or drink) while they arrange a visit to the dentist.
Additionally, as the old adage goes, prevention is better than cure. Preventing tooth sensitivity involves adopting the correct dietary habits and tooth brushing techniques and periodic visits to the dentist for a checkup. Frequent consumption of fizzy drinks should be avoided. The type of tooth brush used should be of either soft or medium hardness and advice should be sought on the correct technique of brushing.
Smart Muslim : What is the importance of oral health for a fasting Muslim?
Dr. Kassim: Oral health is important for everybody. For the Muslim, it is a good deed that earns a reward from Allah. Ramadan being the month of good deeds, maintaining good oral hygiene becomes particularly important.
The need to maintain clean teeth is greater for the fasting person. Overall, fasting is good for oral hygiene because less eating means less plaque formation hence cleaner teeth. However, chewing of food and the accompanying salivation is also important for oral hygiene and health; the mechanical action of chewing helps to clean the teeth. Saliva is also laden with antibodies that protect the mouth and teeth from infectious organisms; hence their absence or reduction may be viewed as being deleterious to oral health.
Meticulous oral hygiene is needed to reduce the bad breath that is known to be associated with fasting. The mechanisms of the bad breath of fasting is not well known but is thought to be due to the xerostomia (dry mouth) associated with fasting or due to putrefaction of digestive juices by intestinal micro-organisms
Smart Muslim : Any additional information?
Dr. Kassim: Sugar is the arch-enemy of teeth. Reducing the frequency of consumption of sugary substances, combined with meticulous tooth brushing, with either a toothbrush or stick and fluoride toothpaste, and periodic check-up by a dentist will avert most dental diseases.
