Scientists think they have found the answer to the question of why some people's teeth hurt when they eat something icy.
They found cells that respond to large differences in temperature and send signals to the brain when people with sensitive teeth ingest something very cold.
People with damaged teeth are prone to these problems because their nerve pathways are exposed.
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These new scientific findings provide the basis for making medical preparations such as toothpastes, gums and medicated dental strips, experts say.
"Now that we have found the molecules that participate in that process, we can work on a drug," says Professor Katarina Zimmerman, who led the research, whose conclusions were published in a scientific journal. Science advances.
The substance on which the medicine should act in order to eliminate the problem is calledTRPC5, and Professor Zimmerman and her team from the University of Nuremberg found it in odontoblasts - connective tissue cells that produce procollagen and predentin, organic components of dentin, from which teeth are made.
Odontoblasts form the layer between the outer, harder part of the tooth and its softer interior.
There are no sensory receptors in the outer shell of the tooth, but there are in the dentin, because it is the connection with the pulp, in which the nerve cells are located.
If the dentin is exposed, for example due to tooth decay or gum disease, certain stimuli such as temperature or certain types of liquids can cause pain.
Scientists studied the teeth of humans and mice to study the mechanism of pain.
"In the case of teeth that had damage and caries, we found many more exposed teeth TRPC5 channels, so we believe that tooth strips with blockers of this substance could help in the treatment of toothache and hypersensitivity," says Professor Zimmerman.
Clover oil is a homeopathic remedy that contains a substance capable of blocking TRPC5, but scientists do not recommend using oil.
Everyone who feels pain in their teeth should first contact the dentist.
Blocking the pain can provide immediate relief, says Professor Damien Walmsley of the British Dental Association, but it's important to treat the cause.
Regular tooth brushing can prevent tooth and gum diseases, he adds.
"This scientific research is very interesting, but we should not forget about the essential causes of tooth sensitivity, as well as the human perception of pain, which dentists can treat by removing defects, and patients are also advised to use toothpaste for sensitive teeth," says Walmsley.
This professor believes that he would TRPC5 blockers could in the future be found in toothpastes and other preparations that serve to prevent toothache.
Professor Zimmerman's research team did not receive any funding from commercial sources, but the research was fully supported by the German Research Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute from the United States.
Tooth decay begins because the outer layer and dentin soften under the influence of acids, when we consume food or drinks containing sugar, according to the British Dental Association.
Over time, this acid manages to break through the tooth on the teeth - this is how caries occurs.
The more often you consume sugar, the greater the risk of tooth decay, so it is best to eat this kind of food as part of your main meals.
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