Common ailments - What gets on your teeth's nerves

Common ailments – what gets on your teeth

Teeth are the hardest material in the body. Why can they get so sensitive?

Uaaah! The short, sharp pain goes through you when brushing your teeth and eating ice cream. A sip of cold water or ultrasonic tooth cleaning by the dental hygienist – uaaah! "It's nothing bad, it's a normal reaction of the nerves to the stimulus," says preventive dentist Florian Wegehaupt from the Center for Dentistry at the University of Zurich, reassuring his patients. "In most cases you don't have to worry, there is no tooth decay." Nevertheless, the situation should be clarified. Sensitive teeth were described as early as 1530 in the "Artzney booklet against all kinds of sick people and broken teeth". They have been researched since 1700. There are no precise numbers of how many people suffer from it these days. "But it feels like the problem is increasing," says Wegehaupt. “Many have contributed to this through their own behavior.” Women are more likely to be affected than men.