Dentists have a new treatment for patients suffering from tooth pain and sensitivity caused by excessive tooth whitening, drinking acidic sports drinks and sodas, or stress-related tooth grinding.
The treatment, which will be introduced at the Chicago Dental Society conference this month, is a new toothpaste that contains a nerve-protecting ingredient.
Tooth sensitivity is caused when the dentin layer below the enamel is exposed. Staw-like dentin tubules transmit pain to the tooth's nerve when exposed to heat or cold, acidic soft drinks or bleach in tooth whiteners.
The protective ingredient, called NovaMin, contains a" calcium phosphate molecule that in the presence of saliva, lays down a barrier" and prevents the transmission of pain to the nerve, says Linda Niessen, dentist and chief clinical officer for Dentsply International, which is partnering with GlaxoSmithKline on the NUPRO Sensodyne paste that contains NovaMin.
For now, the paste will be administered at dental offices for immediate relief of sensitivity and pain caused by exposed dentin. A high-fluoride commercial toothpaste containing the ingredient will be available this summer.
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