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5 Things You Need To Know About Dentinal Tubules

Your dentinal tubules can affect or cause tooth sensitivity and can play a part in cavity formation as well. Since 40% of Americans have tooth sensitivity and over 90% of American adults have cavities (treated or untreated), chances are you have at least one of these issues. You may even have both.

Here's what you need to know about your dentinal tubules and how they can affect your oral health.

1. Dentinal Tubules Are Tiny and Sit Under Your Enamel

First of all, you need to understand what dentinal tubules are. They're located in the dentin, which is the layer under your tooth enamel. Dentinal tubules are tiny tubules that run from the inside of the tooth (the pulp chamber) out through the hard dentin and end beneath the enamel. They're far too small to see, and if your teeth are healthy they're also covered by enamel.

2. Dentinal Tubules Carry Fluid and Nutrients

The pulp chamber of your tooth is fed by blood vessels, but the outer layers of your teeth are hard and don't contain any blood vessels or nerves or other soft tissue. So the dentinal tubules stand in for blood vessels, in that they carry whatever your dentin needs out from the pulp chamber through the dentin layer. This includes special immune cells, nutrients, and more.

The continuation and direction of the fluid flow is crucial. If the flow stops, it could allow bacteria and other microscopic contaminants inside your teeth. And the dentin won't get the nutrition it needs to stay healthy, making it doubly hard to fight off the decay caused by these bacteria.

3. Tubules Can Produce Sensitivity When Exposed

The tubules are meant to be covered, but if you have thinning enamel or exposed tooth roots, the open ends of your dentinal tubules may not have as much shielding as they ought to. Being exposed like this means they're more likely to react to triggers that cause tooth sensitivity. These triggers may include hot or cold foods and overly sweet foods.

If you've recently developed some sensitivity in your teeth and you're not sure why, talk to your dentist about it. You may have thinning or damaged enamel or receding gums that are exposing your tooth roots.

4. Several Toothpastes Can Reduce Sensitivity Issues by Occluding Tubules

Because tooth sensitivity is such a common and painful issue, many companies have developed products, such as toothpastes, that can reduce the sensitivity. Some of these work by depositing a substance (such as a mineral layer) onto the dentin surface, reducing the size of the tubule openings. This is called occluding the tubules.

Occlusion helps reduce the sensitive reaction to trigger foods, meaning you're less likely to experience pain when you sip a hot or cold beverage. The substance used to occlude dentinal tubules could be strontium acetate, calcium sodium phosphosilicate, stannous fluoride, arginine combined with calcium carbonate, or something else.

5. Problems Such As Poor Diet May Cause Malfunctions

Because stopping or reversing the dentinal fluid flow can allow bacteria to infiltrate your teeth, you should try to keep the fluid flow strong and healthy. Of course, keeping down the bacterial populations in your mouth through good oral hygiene is important, but the diet you eat may play a role as well.

Although more research is needed on how diet affects dentinal fluid flow, one study showed that a high-sugar diet causes suppression of parotid hormone, and thus dentinal fluid flow, in rats. So logically, avoiding a high-sugar diet may help avoid problems with dentinal tubules and their fluid flow.

These five basics can help you understand how your dentinal tubules function and what's going on when you experience tooth sensitivity. In addition to a low-sugar diet and great dental hygiene, you also need a great dentist to help you care for your dentin and the tubules inside it. 

(06/06/2021)
by Carlino & Paton, DDS

More Information: https://www.carlinopatondds.com/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-dentinal-tubules

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