Should you be using desensitizing toothpaste long term? 

It’s tempting to buy over the counter desensitizing toothpaste as soon as tooth sensitivity starts without consulting with the dentist.

It’s important to know that different Desensitizing toothpastes have different ingredients, like some are designed to be applied as a numbing agent to the teeth, seeping into them and reducing their aches. Some are even designed to help restore and repair the enamel of the tooth, reducing sensitivity by covering up the nerve-endings in dentin that have been exposed over time.

Regardless of the type of sensitivity or even pain you are experiencing, it is important before you begin using desensitizing toothpaste, to first address the root cause of the sensitivity.

Which ingredient works best for you can only be determined by your dentist upon seeing your individual needs and understanding the root cause of tooth sensitivity.

Not only that, it’s duration of use is also decided by the dentist.

Desensitizing toothpaste can be really helpful in soothing tooth sensitivity, but using them continuously for a long term is not recommended. 

It’s recommended to use the desensitizing paste after your dentist prescribes it and use it only till you have tooth sensitivity and to be discontinued once your tooth sensitivity is resolved. 

Using desensitizing toothpastes to mask the issue is not appropriate, as it is merely treating the symptoms instead of the cause, and can leave you numbly unaware of more dire warning signals your mouth is giving off, such as early signs of cavities, gum disease, tooth decay, and abscesses.

You can’t replace a dentist visit with a desensitizing toothpaste. It can do a lot for pain and temperature sensitivity, but it can’t fix root cause.