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A tooth in the rear left of my mouth (I think it's my wisdom tooth) has temperature sensitivity; if I eat something very cold and I chew it with that tooth, it begins to hurt.

Due to some problems with my insurance, I can only get an appointment in mid February. From experience, I know that eventually the tooth will start to hurt by itself witouth any stimulus. My question is, what can I do to delay this stage of pain as much as possible? Should I brush my teeth an excessive number of times a day? Should I floss around that tooth often? Should I use mouthwash? Of course this is generally good advice, but I am afraid that since the cavity is so close to the nerve already, excessive brushing of teeth may help the bacteria dig towards the nerve faster.

EDIT: Perhaps I should mention, my tooth has had temperature sensitivity for 3-4 weeks already.

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To minimize the chance of tooth pain, assuming that your tooth has a cavity, i.e. dental caries, you must:

  1. avoid sugar: sugar is metabolized by oral bacteria generating acids, hence pain
  2. avoid acidic beverages and foods, like lemons
  3. avoid food or drinks too warm or cold
  4. avoid to put anything in the tooth, as aspirin or anything else

Brush twice a day with a soft toothbrush and using fluoridated toothpaste (>1.000 ppm of fluoride)

Now, if the pain is transitory, i.e, you drink something cold and you feel the tooth, but as soon as you stop to drink the feel stops, in such case you will be fine.

If, otherwise, the pain prolongs even if you retire the stimulus, or start to hurt during the night, then you must go ASAP to a dentist.

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  • Thank you very much for the help, just a couple questions: why brush only twice a day? Isn't it better to do it more frequently? Also, do you reccomend a soft toothbrush just to help with my specific situation, or do you reccomend soft toothbrushes to everybody in general?
    – Ovi
    Jan 6 '17 at 3:36
  • The function of the toothbrush is to carry some fluoride to the surface of the teeth and charge the biofilm with it. Yes, the biofilm is a natural reservoir of fluoride. There is no need to brush more than twice a day for that. About the soft toothbrush, I reccomend in general. Again, the main function of the toothbrushing is to carry the fluoride. Here you will find more [info: knowyourteeth.com/infobites/abc/article/… the Academy of General Dentistry)
    – sue
    Jan 6 '17 at 5:58
  • Thanks. And just one more question; the website you linked reccomends flossing, but do you reccomend flossing my special tooth as well if my only goal is to go about 5 more weeks witouth pain?
    – Ovi
    Jan 6 '17 at 11:12
  • I recommend to floss or use gently a toothpick to remove any food.
    – sue
    Jan 7 '17 at 5:01

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