Toothpaste hurts? What the hell?!?

November 3, 2006 6:58 AM

Why does this toothpaste hurt my teeth?

A weird experience to be sure.

I bought some Colgate 2-in-1 Oxygen whitening toothpaste.

I put some on my dampened trusty green toothbrush.

I put it in my mouth, press it up against my teeth.

And my teeth hurt. It feels like across between biting on something really cold and chewing on aluminum foil. It fades in about 2-3 seconds as I continue to brush (yes, I'm a masochist). I sort of forgot about it, but then at night I brush again and it does the same thing! I poked around my mouth for loose fillings and other obvious defects, but nothing. I brushed with a different toothpaste and had no problems.

I do have some old amalgam fillings and a bridge, and I'm somewhat sensitive to cold, but never really had anything like this happen before. Any ideas?

posted by Ookseer to health (10 comments total)

I have the same thing with acidic foods or things very high in sugar (actually, with things that are almost entirely sugar), among other things. AFAICT, different people's teeth can be sensitive to different things.

What are the differences in the ingredients lists between the one that hurts and the one that doesn't?
posted by winston at 7:08 AM on November 3, 2006

Well I chucked the tube, but I seem to have perused other toothpaste tubes in the past and, since they're a drug, not a food, only list active ingredients of fluoride. According to the web site it also has "oxygen bubbles", but I'd hope it's not oxygen... that stuff is everywhere, but that's the only thing I can think of.

Never had anything hurt like this except when I bite into something very cold or the one time I chewed some foil on a dare as a kid.

Seems very odd to me that this should happen with something that's made to be put on teeth.
posted by Ookseer at 7:28 AM on November 3, 2006

My fiancée has the same problem with any "whitening" toothpaste, FWIW. No idea why.
posted by mkultra at 7:29 AM on November 3, 2006

Peroxide and oxygen treatments in dentifrices actually penetrate the enamel and enter the pulp of the teeth, which can make them sensitive or painful. ^ One product might have more peroxide than another, so while they may have the same ingredients, different ratios would account for different results.
posted by headspace at 7:43 AM on November 3, 2006

Whitening toothpastes usually contain abrasives to help remove surface stains, along with some small amount of bleaching agent.

Some folks just have very high sensitivity to the bleaching agents. I would just try to avoid whitening toothpaste, and maybe even try a special sensitivity one.
posted by Sully6 at 8:06 AM on November 3, 2006

Same thing happens to me with any whitening toothpaste after a few days of using it. I've stopped using them since. I mean, they have a bleaching agent in them (bleach oxidizes stains away).
posted by Xoder at 8:11 AM on November 3, 2006

I'll just say that I've used a number of whitening toothpastes, whitening creams, strips, gels, etc. and never had a reaction before. That's what baffles me.

I guess I'm just lucky. And it's not like there is a shortage of alternatives for me to choose from...
posted by Ookseer at 8:29 AM on November 3, 2006

I'm guessing it's the foam. I bet the foaming agent is getting down into little cracks in your teeth, and when the bubbles form down inside those cracks, they push the cracks apart slightly, and you have a sensation of pain. This is consistent with it fading in two or three seconds, because the foaming agent tends to exhaust itself fairly rapidly, and because by that point the cracks are occupied by no longer expanding bubbles which keep any more foaming agent out.

I'd also guess your cold sensitivity is due to cracks. There are plastic sealing agents which can be applied to teeth that do reduce cavities, and might help you with your sensitivities.
posted by jamjam at 8:51 AM on November 3, 2006

I have had that problem for several years. My dentist told me to use Sensodyne. It has worked for me. At first I would take a small amount and rub on the gumline near the tooth with the discomfort. It took a couple of weeks before I was relieved of all pain. I now just use it as my regular tooth paste and I am pain free.
posted by JayRwv at 9:14 AM on November 3, 2006

After a year or two of using whitening toothpastes, my teeth have been sensitive. I asked my dental hygienist, and she said that they cause the microscopic pores on the teeth to open up, causing the sensitivity. I assume that is how they penetrate the enamel, as headspace mentioned.
posted by IndigoRain at 4:35 PM on November 3, 2006