Inside each of your teeth lies a nerve. These nerves transmit signals to your brain. When your teeth are in trouble, you'll experience sensitivity. Sugar sensitivity indicates that you may have a tooth condition that needs treatment. So if you experience sensitivity to sugar, pay attention, and be ready to book a dental appointment with a dentist to find out what the underlying cause is.
If your teeth hurt every time you eat sugar, then you could have one of the following issues.
Enamel demineralization
Tooth enamel consists of a number of minerals, like calcium and phosphorous. And in a healthy mouth, saliva containing these minerals bolsters teeth, adding minerals to them to strengthen them. But sometimes, the environment in a mouth might become acidic. Your saliva starts to become acidic once the pH drops below 5.5. Acidic saliva causes enamel demineralization.
Over time, the more enamel you lose, the more sensitive your affected teeth will become to sugar and sugary substances.
Cavities caused by oral bacteria
Too much sugar can also lead to enamel demineralization. This is because oral bacteria love to eat sugary foods. And because sugary foods are so easy for oral bacteria to digest, the population of tooth decay-causing bacteria can quickly increase. Oral bacteria produce acids, which strip away enamel. In the most affected spots, cavities form. Sensitivity then becomes a problem in those areas.
Exposed roots
Your gum tissue and jawbone protect the roots of your teeth. This is important since the roots of teeth don't have as much enamel to protect them as tooth crowns do. If a tooth's root loses the protection of its gum tissue, sensitivity becomes a problem, along with an increased risk of tooth decay.
Tooth roots may become exposed for several reasons.
Brushing too hard
Some patients believe that they need to use a lot of force when brushing their teeth. But brushing with too much force gradually removes enamel from along the gum line. This may also damage the gum tissue and leave the vulnerable tooth roots exposed.
Gum disease
Plaque buildup due to poor oral hygiene also exposes the roots of teeth. Plaque irritates and damages gum tissue and causes it to pull away from the roots of teeth. As a result, sensitivity becomes a problem.
Other dental trauma
Any kind of trauma to gum tissue can cause it to recede, leaving the root it protects exposed. So remember this if you have damaged your gum tissue and begin to experience sensitivity.
