Can Fluoride Varnishes Cure Sensitive Teeth?

If your teeth are extremely sensitive, then your dentist may have recommended that you switch to using a soft toothbrush and a specialist toothpaste for sensitive teeth. While this has improved your sensitivity, it hasn't fixed it. Your teeth are still painful when you eat or drink something that is hot or cold.

If you find it hard to cope with the sensitivity, you'll want to find ways to make things better. In the past, your dentist might have mentioned fluoride varnishes as the next step. What are fluoride varnishes, and will they help your sensitivity problems?

What Are Fluoride Varnishes?

A fluoride varnish is painted on to the teeth by a dentist. It contains a fluoride boost that dries on the teeth and is absorbed into them.

Varnishes help the teeth resist acids and compensate for the effects of demineralisation. Demineralisation damages teeth by affecting surface enamel and making it weaker. So, a varnish just gives the surface of your teeth a helping hand to restore itself.

Can Fluoride Varnishes Cure Enamel Sensitivity?

Fluoride varnishes are used to treat dental decay and erosion. If you have extreme sensitivity, then erosion is likely to be your problem.

So, having a single or regular varnishing treatment could counteract the way that erosion makes your teeth feel when they come into contact with hot or cold substances. The varnish strengthens the teeth and helps them re-develop the mineralisation that protects them against sensitivity.

A varnish treatment should give you some relief — however, it may not completely solve your problem. This also depends on the reason why your teeth have become so sensitive.

Do You Need Other Help to Reduce Sensitivity?

While a fluoride varnish can help control sensitivity, you may need extra help. This may be something you can do, or you may need to consult your dentist.

For example, if years of drinking sugary fizzy drinks have made your teeth too sensitive, then you need to cut out these drinks from your diet. If your sensitivity was caused by over-bleaching your teeth at home too often, then you need to get your bleaching under control.

If your sensitivity is caused by a dental problem, like gum disease, then your dentist may also want to fix the underlying issue. This may reduce your sensitivity even more.

Don't accept sensitive teeth as something you have to live with. Talk to your dentist about possible treatments that could make you feel more comfortable.

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