What Causes A Numb Feeling In Your Teeth & How To Get Rid Of It?

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Medically reviewed by Othman Lahmaydi, RDH

Our teeth are made up of living cells and can feel what’s going on around them, just like any other body part. If you experience tooth numbness often, it may be a sign that something’s wrong and you should take it seriously.

Numbness in teeth can be due to nerve and dental pulp damage caused by gum disease or a facial injury. It can also be an early sign of a tooth dying. You can prevent numbness by taking care of your enamel, following proper dental hygiene techniques, and attending regular dental checkups.

There are different treatments and preventive measures for tooth numbness. Let’s take a look at the various options and what causes the numbness in the first place, so that you can assess any issues you might have and prevent new ones from cropping up.

Why Are Your Teeth Feeling Numb?

Short Haired Woman Checking Teeth

We know that our teeth can feel strong sensations when we eat, drink, or bite into anything. So, when one more tooth loses feeling entirely, it can be quite frustrating and concerning.

The dental pulp of our teeth (nerves and blood vessels) are what allow us to feel things such as heat, cold, etc. But when everything goes numb, you can’t feel any sensations, even strong ones. 

The numbness can be felt anywhere from your teeth to your gums and isn’t a thing you should ignore. It can be an indication of your tooth dying or decaying. So, let’s find out what causes a numb feeling to occur.

Gum Diseases

If a gum disease intensifies, leading to tooth decay and ultimately reaching the pulp layer of the teeth, it can cause numbness. If you notice an abscess and numb teeth, the reason would most probably be a gum infection.

A gum infection can occur due to various reasons such as not brushing the teeth twice a day, plaque accumulation, a bacterial attack, etc. If you leave gum disease untreated and it reaches the tooth pulp, the tooth can literally die as a result.

Therefore, you shouldn’t ignore tooth numbness, especially if it lasts for a long time. 

Facial Injury

If you had an accident, sports injury, or a fall and you damaged a blood vessel near your teeth, it can cause tooth numbness. The blood flow can be blocked near the numb tooth, interrupting sensations in the teeth. 

Temporary Numbness

If you are going through an oral issue that has led to the exposure of your pulp layer, and the pulp comes in contact with food particles or something cold, it can cause temporary numbness.

In order to fix this issue, you will have to get rid of the irritant and wait for some time. To prevent this situation from happening, get all your tooth-related problems treated as quickly as possible.

How Do You Get Rid of Numbness in Your Teeth?

Female patient on dental check up

If you catch the numbness in your teeth early enough, it can be solved and the normal feeling should return. There are a few options that you can pursue to treat a numb tooth depending on the cause and condition of your tooth.

The first thing to do when you notice tooth numbness is to get a dentist appointment so you can save the tooth in time. Here are some procedures that the dentist might do for your numb tooth.

Dental Fillings

If the tooth is decaying but is in the initial stage of decay, it can be saved with a simple dental filling. The dentist can tell if this is an appropriate solution for your numb and decaying tooth. 

Root Canal Procedure

If your tooth is badly infected and the pulp is damaged too, a root canal is a good treatment option. In this procedure, the infected pulp and surrounding nerves are removed to avoid further infection. Afterward, the whole infected area is cleaned.

The infection is treated by suitable medications and then the area is sealed. The dentist places sealer paste and a crown on top of the decayed tooth.

The removal of nerves and pulp stops the numbness in the teeth; however, you lose all sensations from it. But the tooth is still functional and the chances of further numbness and pulp diseases are reduced.

Temporary Numbness

Numbness can occur after a dentist appointment if local anesthesia was used. If the numbness in your tooth is temporary, you don’t need to worry much about it. 

Swishing saltwater in your mouth or using hot compresses can help you recover from the numbness.

How Can You Prevent Numbness in Teeth?

Prevention is always better than having to treat a problem. A badly decayed tooth can’t be restored if you have to go through a root canal procedure.

Therefore, it is better to take care of your teeth and prevent issues from arising. Here are some tips you can follow to prevent tooth numbness:

  • Use a good toothbrush that reaches all the crevices of your mouth. 
  • Take care of your dental hygiene and brush and floss daily. 
  • Don’t brush your teeth after eating acidic food. Rinse your mouth with water to get rid of the acid from the teeth and don’t brush for at least 30 minutes.
  • Avoid any situation that can damage your tooth enamel as it can lead to the exposure of the dental pulp and numbness. Avoid acidic and sugary food as much as possible.  
  • Consume a healthy and nutritional diet to avoid any deficiencies that can damage your tooth enamel.
  • Use a night guard if you have issues like bruxism. Grinding and clenching teeth damages the enamel, thereby exposing the dental pulp.
  • Don’t ignore frequent tooth numbness or other signs like inflammation, pain, or redness. 
  • Go for regular dental checkups.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know what can cause numbness in your teeth, you can avoid those things and keep your teeth in a healthy condition. Brushing your teeth twice daily isn’t enough if you want a healthy and beautiful smile.

You should take care of your teeth as you would any other body part in order to prevent infection. Once a permanent tooth of yours decays, it can’t be restored to its original health. For that reason, prevention is always the best option.

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