Some complain that they feel sore in teeth when eating something sour, sweet, hot or cold after seeking a dental cleaning in hospital. Does that mean the cleaning procedure has damaged their teeth? 

    Surely, that’s not the case. According to dentists from AKJ Dental Hospital, it’s normal that teeth would be sensitive within a few days following cleaning. 

    You don’t need to worry a lot if there is sensitivity or sore in teeth within two to four days of dental cleaning. Desensitizing toothpaste can be used to mitigate the symptoms. Besides, treating yourself to less spicy, hot and hard foods will also reduce irritations to teeth. Still, you need to carry out brushing practices well on a daily basis. Dental cleaning is not the culprit for tooth sensitivity. On contrary, it’s suggested to seek teeth cleaning once or twice every year. Why?

    For one thing, tooth sensitivity after cleaning means your dental plaque and calculus are too bad. Their long-term existence leads to gum recession. Dental cleaning serves to remove them and thus expose tooth roots which normally should stay in alveolar bone. When you are eating, the foods will irritate the delicate roots and cause some discomfort.

    The formation of dental plaque and tartar can happen at any minute after eating. So you have to control it from the origin. That means you have to schedule regular dental cleanings every year in addition to well carrying out daily practices like brushing, rinsing and flossing. Otherwise, there will be development of issues like bad breath, gum recession and tooth loosening with time.

    For another, tooth sensitivity after cleaning may happen because there is periodontitis. You have to check and see whether there are symptoms like red, severely swollen and receding gums. If there are periodontal pockets, a procedure of subgingival scaling may be required after the cleaning to clean away the plaque and calculus beneath the gums. Some patients may even feel tooth loosening which demands more attention.

    Based on the severity of periodontitis, different treatment plan will be designed. In general, it’s a long-term battle against periodontal disease. You’d better follow the professional instructions of your dentist and take good care of your teeth and gums all the time. Relevant article: Can cleaning sought after extraction?

    In closing, it’s not dental cleaning but your poor dental state itself that causes tooth sensitivity following the procedure. If the sore is quite strong, you might as well visit your dentist and seek proper treatment in time. When there is inflammation, pain and bleeding may occur during the procedure. Such issues are not expected to happen again if you schedule regular cleanings.

    Please feel free to contact me if there’s any dental problem. (WeChat ID: aiyuan325180)