Are you worried about tooth sensitivity? Then don’t brush your teeth too hard.

Hello.

I am the director of Seoul Vardi Dental Clinic.

<Source: SBS, the famous angry brushing>

Have you ever seen this famous photo?

Choi In-pyo’s angry brushing!

How is your brushing habit? Do you perhaps brush your teeth this hard?

When you get too enthusiastic and keep brushing too “hard” or too “diligently,”

you may actually be wearing down your precious teeth little by little.

Today, I’ll explain in detail, with real cases, the betrayal of toothbrushing that we often didn’t know about:

cervical abrasion.

Why you should not brush too hard Are you worried about tooth sensitivity? Then don’t brush your teeth too hard.

If you look at the structure of the tooth, the crown part of the enamel is very hard,

but the cervical area where it meets the gums (the neck of the tooth)

has thinner enamel than the crown.

This is the most vulnerable area of the tooth.

But what happens if you lay the toothbrush sideways and brush vigorously in a left-right motion?

It works on the same principle as sawing through a large tree.

The bristles continuously and strongly rub the neck of the tooth,

causing the thin layer to be worn away little by little.

As the gums recede slightly,

the exposed weak area becomes deeply worn into a “V” shape,

and this is called cervical abrasion.

Since the outer protective layer disappears...

whenever cold water or cold air touches it,

the passages connected to the nerves are stimulated,

causing a “tingling” pain.

How do we treat cervical abrasion? Are you worried about tooth sensitivity? Then don’t brush your teeth too hard.

If the neck of the tooth has worn away, it is important not to leave it untreated but to fill it with the proper material.

1. GI (covered by national health insurance)

It is less costly and releases fluoride, so it is good for preventing cavities,

but

its strength is weak, so it can break or come off easily.

2. Resin (non-covered material)

Its adhesion is stronger than insurance-covered materials, and it is very aesthetic because it is almost the same color as the tooth.

3. Crown

This is done when the pain is too severe due to nerve exposure or when there is a high risk of the tooth breaking.

Cervical abrasion must be treated differently for each patient. Are you worried about tooth sensitivity? Then don’t brush your teeth too hard.

Let me introduce the case of an elderly patient who recently visited our clinic.

This patient had a very deep worn area near the root of the tooth.

241224

After many years of gradual wear,

it had become so severe that the nerve inside the tooth was visible even to the naked eye.

241224

Usually, when it is worn down to this extent and the nerve is exposed,

it is normal to feel severe pain even when water touches it.

So in most cases, root canal treatment is performed, followed by crown treatment to cover the tooth.

However, this patient almost did not feel any pain or sensitivity.

This was because of “calcification of the nerve.”

When wear progresses very slowly over a long period of time, our body protects itself by

hardening the inside of the nerve canal or moving backward.

In other words, the nerve has become dulled.

So at this point, don’t you wonder?

If it doesn’t hurt, can’t I just leave it untreated and keep using it?

If you keep using it because there is no pain, the inner layer, which is weaker than the outer shell, continues to wear away quickly, and eventually it may break.

Since more than half of this patient’s tooth had already worn away, it was important to treat it now to prevent it from breaking.

Because the patient cared about the aesthetic aspect as well, since it was in the front teeth area,

we performed treatment to carefully fill it with tooth-colored resin.

250417

By naturally matching the gum line and tooth color, we achieved a very satisfying aesthetic result.^^

241224 (before) 250417 (after)

Precautions and proper care Are you worried about tooth sensitivity? Then don’t brush your teeth too hard.

Even if the treatment with resin is finished beautifully, if care is neglected, it may come off again.

Especially for those with large worn-down areas like in this case, you must follow the next two points.

1. Avoid hard foods

Although resin is strong, hard and chewy foods such as kkakdugi or dried squid can put strain on the teeth.

2. Change your brushing method

The “sawing” brushing style of brushing hard left and right is a no-no!

From the gums toward the tooth, try using a gentle sweeping, rotating motion.

If you look in the mirror now and see a hollow area at the neck of the tooth, or feel a tingling sensation when drinking cold water,

before it wears down deeper and damages the nerve, we will help you think together about the treatment option that is most appropriate for you.

Thank you for reading this long post today.^^

▼Check the clinic location▼

Are you worried about tooth sensitivity? Then don’t brush your teeth too hard.

Go to call for an appointment
02-481-4278

| This post was written directly by Seoul Vardi Dental Clinic for the purpose of providing medical information in compliance with Article 56, Paragraph 1 of the Medical Advertising Act. We recommend that the information provided be used for reference only, and that you visit a medical institution and receive guidance from medical staff for symptom assessment and accurate care methods. All procedures/surgeries performed at the dental clinic may involve risks depending on the individual (inflammation, bleeding, swelling, etc.). Please make a decision after sufficient consultation with medical staff in advance. The treatment cases in this post were photographed with the consent of patients who completed treatment at our clinic, and the before-and-after photos were taken under the same conditions. |