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Do you experience pain or tingling in your teeth, especially when eating sweet, hot or cold foods? Do brushing and flossing sometimes cause you to cringe? You may be suffering from teeth sensitivity — and you’re not alone: One in five adults suffers from sensitive teeth.

You could be suffering from sensitive teeth.

Pain from sensitive teeth usually comes and goes. If you have constant pain, it could be a sign of a more serious problem. Discuss your symptoms with your dental professional to determine the cause and proper treatment of your condition.

What does teeth sensitivity mean for your teeth?

Teeth sensitivity can mean significant pain and it often impacts daily activities, such as eating, drinking, and brushing your teeth. It can also lead to painful dentist office visits and procedures.

In healthy teeth, porous tissue called dentin is protected by your gums and by your teeth's hard enamel outer layer. However, dentin can become exposed due to receding gums, fractured or chipped teeth or erosion. Microscopic holes in the dentin, called tubules, connect to the nerve, triggering pain when irritated by certain foods and beverages.

Causes of sensitive teeth

Two recognized leading causes of teeth sensitivity are enamel loss and gingival recession.* For example:

• Brushing too hard: Brushing too hard or using a hard-bristled toothbrush can cause gum recession and root exposure over time
• Your age: You may experience increased sensitivity at different ages throughout your life
• Acidic foods: Eating acidic foods and beverages on a regular basis can cause enamel to erode, increasing the likelihood of sensitivity

Treatment for teeth sensitivity

To reduce teeth sensitivity, your dental professional may recommend you use a soft-bristle toothbrush or a desensitizing toothpaste. Used together, the Crest Pro-Health Sensitive Shield Regimen is a collection of products that offer sensitivity protection plus comprehensive oral health benefits, and includes the following products:

• Crest Pro-Health Sensitive Shield Toothpaste: smoother than the original Pro-Health paste, Sensitive Shield contains the clinically proven active ingredient stannous fluoride to protect teeth from sensitivity and to care for your healthy teeth and gums.
• Crest Glide Pro-Health Floss for Sensitive Gums: The softest Crest Glide floss is 2x softer vs. Glide Original and is designed to make flossing more comfortable for even the most sensitive gums.
• Oral-B CrossAction® Gentle Clean Toothbrush: combines extra soft CrissCross® and Power Tip® bristles to remove up to 90% of plaque from hard to reach areas** while still being gentle on gums.

How Crest Pro-Health Sensitive Shield Toothpaste differs from the leading sensitivity toothpaste

Your teeth become sensitive when stimuli in your mouth (like hot, cold, and acidic things) penetrate small tubules (like pores) and come in contact with the nerve inside your tooth. Most sensitivity toothpastes, including the leading sensitivity brand, work by numbing the nerve inside your tooth. Crest Pro-Health Sensitive Shield works differently. It contains the clinically proven active ingredient stannous fluoride, which helps block the tubule openings to keep the external triggers such as heat and cold from ever reaching and stimulating the nerve inside the tooth. Stannous fluoride also binds to enamel to create a micro-thin shield, strengthening the tooth.

Crest Pro-Health Sensitive Shield protects sensitive teeth and provides comprehensive oral health protection for your teeth and gums. Individuals struggling with sensitivity no longer have to spend their time and money using more than one toothpaste to get all the protection they want for a healthy mouth. They no longer need to make that trade-off because Crest Pro-Health is the only leading toothpaste that protects against all these areas dentists check most: cavities, gingivitis, plaque, tartar, sensitivity, whitening, and fresh breath – all in one tube.


* J Am Dent Assoc. 2003 Feb;134(2):220-5.
** based on a single-use brushing study