 Hello everybody, Andrew Maesky here with Dental Tutoring. So if you guys had seen my last video, my light in my office has decided to burn out. I need to order a new one, hence why you can't see me right now, because it is dark and you wouldn't be able to see me anyway. So I am sorry about that, but this is okay anyway, because at least you guys can see what we're talking about today. So this will be two sensitivity and what you have to know for the board exam, okay? So I know having to study for the board exam is not easy. You're thinking about a thousand different things, but I find that tooth sensitivity is something that a lot of students don't always remember to study for. And then when they're asking questions on the board exam, you're a little bit lost. So let's just talk about that a little bit so you will not be lost anymore, okay? So tooth sensitivity, how does this happen? And what are some of the common signs and symptoms your patient will come to you with? So typically tooth sensitivity could mean many, many things, but let's talk specifically about cold sensitivity, because that is the most popular. Now please keep in mind, no tooth likes the cold. So if a patient is telling you that they can't eat ice cream with their teeth, well that's probably a good sign, that's not normal. But if they're that cold sensitive where their pain lingers on, then they do have a form of tooth sensitivity, which I should actually make a note of, also called hypersensitivity, I said that, whoops. Hypersensitivity, oh my goodness, I can't spell you guys. Sorry, sensitivity, there we go. So tooth sensitivity on the board exam could also be called hypersensitivity. So what this means is when you're looking at a tooth, so you have of course your enamel, and then you have the dentin, and then covering the root surface is your cementum, right? So when those tubules that are inside your tooth, when they're open to the environment, that can cause tooth sensitivity, because your teeth have nerves, all kinds of things, but there's liquid that runs through our tubules that can send messages to the nerve of the tooth, and if those tubules are open and that liquid's exposed, then that can cause tooth sensitivity, also known as hypersensitivity. So when a patient comes in and says that they're cold sensitive or they have a very sensitive tooth, the first thing that I do ask them is, do you brush too hard? Because the most common cause for tooth sensitivity is brushing too hard. And actually, I'd like to get you guys a picture here, so sorry, I'm just gonna cause this for one moment, and I will be right back. There everybody, sorry about that. So I just kind of wanted to show you guys a picture here. So the most common cause for tooth sensitivity is probably brushing too hard. So what happens when you brush too hard? Well, this is what happens. You see how you gum should be covering this root surface here. So this is how it's supposed to look. But when the gum is not, you see how that's open basically for lack of a better word? So here, the gum is covering it over here, or here, but it's not covering it here. So when the cementum of a patient's tooth happens to be exposed, that can cause hypersensitivity. So that is the most common cause. Now, how do you fix that? Well, there could be a number of things. So you will, for the board exam, think you want to do the one thing first that's the easiest for the patient. So we would always say to use a Sensodyne toothpaste because a Sensodyne toothpaste actually has something in it, which I should make a note of that as well. Sorry, guys, let me just do another slide here. So Sensodyne has in it an ingredient called, so does anybody know what that ingredient is called potassium nitrate? This is what you want to help against cold sensitivity. There are a lot of sensitive toothpaste out there that do not have potassium nitrate. If it does not have this, it's not going to work as well because there's toothpaste out there that will actually just simply help to cover up those tubules, but it doesn't last because as soon as that toothpaste leaves the mouth, basically it's not going to work. But Sensodyne actually has this in it to help to close those tubules and cover them up. So that's why it does say to use the toothpaste every day twice a day because if you're only using it once a day and then using another toothpaste, that other toothpaste is taking off that protective layer of the Sensodyne. So you want them to use this twice a day. But let's just say they're still sensitive because obviously toothpaste isn't going to help to bring the gum back to the way it was. The only way to do it is, which I should make a note of that too, is to have a gum of graft. You want the patient to have a gum of graft to cover the recessions. Whoops, oh my goodness. I'm trying to like type and look at this at the same time. Okay, so you want the patient to have this if it's still sensitive. Now I should make a note though that this type of surgery is painful and it does take a while to heal. But as you guys can see, it does do a good job. So I will tell patients to have typically a gum graft if they're in so much pain and they've tried everything and it doesn't work. Okay, but just so you know, there are things we can do to help to prevent the sensitivity. But to take it a step further, whoops, too, I'm taking a step further over the Sensodyne in office, which I want to make a note of that, in office. Can anybody tell me what you would be able to do in the office to help against hypersensitivity? Anybody, so think about that, right? So you could add a fluoride varnish every six months because they do say that it does last for six months. You could have the dentist, have the dentist apply a composite over those areas if it does stick properly. So these are the main things. There's a couple other things too, but I want to keep it simple for you guys for the board exam. These are the main things. So as a dental hygienist, a dental assistant, this is what we can do every six months. And to take it a step further even, at home, at home, you can give them a fluoride rinse, which is of 0.05% or 0.2%. You just sort of help to cover up those areas. So does that make sense to everybody? Those are the best things to do to help against hypersensitivity. Now, if they're sensitive due to other reasons, such as wear on the incisal edges, then a nightguard makes the most sense to just help to prevent that from happening more. But I do talk about this more, and that is my next slide. We are having a board exam boot camp September the 1st, which I forgot to make another story. This will be awesome. So I will be coming on live for one full hour to talk everything you have to know for the board exam. So I will be going through mock exam questions, case studies, critical thinking, plus you will also have, I'm just gonna say live with me, you will also get, oops, sorry guys, you will also get a full PowerPoint with hundreds of multiple choice questions, you guys, hundreds afterwards, to help to prepare you for the board exam. So if you have not signed up yet, you should. We have about 21 members so far sign up, you guys, because this is all going to be online. It will be awesome. You will learn so much, and you will be confident in passing the board exam. So I will be talking more about hypersensitivity. Absolutely. And I just uploaded a video on perio for what you have to know for the board exam. So please have a look at that. And there will be more coming soon. So I will see you guys very, very soon.