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Tooth Sensitivity? Try Chewing Sugarless Gum!

If you’re one of the hundreds of thousands of people who suffer from tooth sensitivity, relief could be just a stick of gum away.

Researchers who performed a study recently published in the British Dental Journal were looking for ways to relieve the temporary tooth sensitivity experienced by those who have undergone in-office tooth-whitening procedures. They found that those who chewed gum after the procedure had significantly less tooth sensitivity than those who didn’t.
While the study was aimed at helping relieve those with tooth-whitening related sensitivities, researchers found that the simple act of chewing serves as a “Lamaze technique for the teeth,” noting that chewing gum is an extremely cost-effective way to deal with tooth sensitivity.

Products developed with the aim to reduce tooth sensitivity generally work to remineralize the teeth. This study shows that for a short-term solution to tooth sensitivity, such as pain caused by tooth whitening or even tooth pain caused by sinus inflammation, chewing is a simple, non-prescription way for patients to overcome pain.

While chewing things other than gum, such as food, might help relieve tooth pain, sugar-free gum carries the addition feather in its cap of helping fight cavities. Noshing on food to ease your tooth pain may have exactly the opposite effect.

The next time you feel that familiar throb of tooth sensitivity, try reaching for a stick of sugar-free gum before you reach for the phone to call the dentist.