If your tooth hurts when you drink liquids does it mean it has to be a cavity?

Question

my tooth only hurts for a very short period of time when i drink liquid. does that mean that it has to be a cavity? please, i need advice.

Answer 1

It could be several things.

First, it definitely could be a cavity.

However, it could also be an area of recession. Are you an agressive brusher? If your gums have pulled down from your tooth even ONE millimeter, you will likely feel sensitivity when drinking cold/hot/sweet liquid.

Or, as others have mentioned, it could be that you are one of those lucky enough to be 'blessed' with sensitive teeth.

Try using a sensitivity toothpaste. Also, try rinsing with a fluoride rinse (like ACT) every night right before bed. When you rinse, make sure not to use water afterward to rinse your mouth... let whatever of the fluoride that remains in your mouth coat your teeth and sit on your teeth while you sleep.  

Answer 2

You could have a cavity or you could just have sensitive teeth.  

Your best bet is to go to your dentist and have it checked out.  You don't want a cavity that is sensitive to go to long.  This could end up in a root canal.

Answer 3

It may just be that your teeth are sensitive, I know sometimes mine do as well.

Answer 4

to hot, cold, or both types of liquids? does it feel sensitive close to the gumline? isn't necessarily a cavity...do you grind your teeth?

Answer 5

Depends on the kind; if it's sugary and sweet then it's most likely a cavity, just cold water = probably sensitive teeth.  

Answer 6

Not necessarily, it could be that the enamel on your teeth is just not strong enough to protect the nerve endings.  I suggest that you brush with sensodine toothpast regularly.  It helps stop the pain and also helps to rebuild the enamal over time.  The other option is to drink liquids that are less hot/cold then would normally hurt you until the enamel has a chance to return.  If it continues to feel the same or worse in the next few days, I would make an appointment with a dentist and have it checked.  It is best to keep those pearly whites as long as you can.

Answer 7

What are your eating and drinking habits?  Drinking drinks that contain acid is normally the cause of sensitive and brittle teeth.  The acid erodes the enamel of your teeth away which means that the dentin underneath the enamel containing the nerves becomes more and more exposed. You will notice this if your teeth are becoming see-through or you can actually see the yellow colored dentin underneath the enamel.  You can make enamel-erosion worse if you drink an acid-containing drink and then brush your teeth straight after as the acid will have softened your teeth.

The main acid-containing drinks are :  

*Fruit juices -  like orange juice,  

*fizzy drinks - like coca cola.  

--You should stop drinking these straight away and just drink water.  Or at least cut down to the bare minimum.  Fruits aren't as healthy as they are made out to be and are only good in moderation.  An orange for example is only high in vitamin C.  You are far better eating vegetables.  It is also better to eat the whole fruit rather than the juice because the acids are encapsulated in the cell walls of the fruit and so don't damage your teeth as much.  Either way, always swill some water in your mouth after so that the acid is gotten rid of and doesn't just lie on your teeth.

---Leave at least an hour of not eating or drinking anything before you brush your teeth at night.  

----As far as technique goes:

Use a pea size amount of toothpaste

Wet the brush and just brush in a circular motion for about 2-3 minutes, occasionally re-wetting the brush and spitting out the paste

make sure you clean every tooth - especially the back ones that are hard to reach.  Do not brush hard!  You only need to apply a little pressure when brushing.  If you brush hard then you could strip the enamel off.  

---Mouthwash and toothpaste contain the same ingredients and are best used at different times.  I would just brush at night and then swill with mouthwash in the morning.  As you can imagine, brushing your teeth after drinking a morning orange-juice is going to do more harm than good.  After eating and drinking your mouth produces saliva which lowers the ph of the mouth so any enamel that has been stripped off by the acidity of the food or drink, can be reapplied to the tooth.

---Finally, you may be deficient in calcium and vitamin D, which is essential to calcium absorption (your enamel is made of calcium):

The best source for calcium is milk or any other dairy product.  Drinking a glass of milk a day will go a long way to maintaining good calcium levels.  Another good thing to eat is oily fish.  The soft bones of the fish provide the calcium, and the fish itself is an excellent source of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids.

Baby spinach leaves and broccoli are also good - try to get organic when buying vegetables.

The best source of vitamin D is through sunlight.  Generally for most people, vitamin D can be obtained by sunlight from March to October. So it is important to expose your skin to sunlight in Summer.  Only apply skin lotion after you have exposed your skin to the sunlight as the lotion blocks the UVB rays which the skin needs to produce vitamin D.  Those living closer to the equator can obtain vitamin D all year round.  In the winter eat plenty of fish to keep the vitamin D supplies up.

Answer 8

u have a hole in ur teeth because i have a hole in my tooth and i got it fixed  and then i ate a air head and it came out sooooo u either have a caviity  or a hole   :P  hope thate helps