'Ice-cream toothache': Cold food and drinks pain explained | Hacker News Reader

'Ice-cream toothache': Cold food and drinks pain explained

bbc.co.uk

86 pointsvinni231 comments

The paper seems to deal with the pathways by which teeth sense cold, and by which cold is sensed as pain. However, the BBC article seems to introduce another element by using the term 'brain jolt' - which probably refers to the intense 'cold headaches' one can experience from eating too much cold food or drink too quickly. However, I don't see that this is referred to anywhere within the paper (please correct me if I'm wrong) - so this aspect of the BBC's article is extrapolating too far, and should probably be amended.

ah, in my region, i think the two phenomena are called ‘sweet tooth’ and ‘brain freeze’

former is sharp dental nerve pain, latter is blunt cranial agony

not sure which the paper is referring to vs bbc though. both are quite unpleasant.

wish investment in medical research and therapy development would prioritize substantial impact on a humanitarian basis rather than through cold and uncaring capitalism.

maybe it was an idiosyncratic discovery, but come on. big whoop. hard to relate with folks who jump on this as an opportunity to build a whole enterprise around.

I’m pretty sure “having a sweet tooth” just implies you like sweets a lot.

Well, as someone who can't bite anything cold, I'd describe the sensation as a brain jolt (yes, it's not "brain freeze" - which is also unpleasant)

Yes, popsicles are pretty much a chore for me.

How do they reconcile these two things:

>> One common home remedy - clove oil - contains a chemical called eugenol that blocks this TRPC5 pathway.

>> The scientists are not recommending DIY treatments though. People who are experiencing any worrying toothache should still see a dentist, they stress.

They want to develop a product, but discourage an existing remedy. They also want to develop a product but say you should see a dentist to get the damage repaired.

They suggest following the guidance of an educated expert.

Zinc oxide eugenol has been used by dentists since forever but is now being replaced by other (more expensive) materials.

> They want to develop a product, but discourage an existing remedy.

They can't sell that remedy so they must find something else (patentable).

> They also want to develop a product but say you should see a dentist to get the damage repaired.

Maybe the product is for dentists. It's a big lucrative market with products you literally can't buy over the counter. (Especially since dentists deal with some forbidden substances too).

Eugenol is a local anaesthetic AND a severe irritant. When you apply it to a tooth and it comes in contact with the gum both end up numb. Until it wears off and you have what amounts to chemical burns on your gums. Using eugenol to treat tooth sensitivity isn't worth it.

Do NOT try using eugenol for tooth sensitivity.

Seems like blocking the pain should be secondary to rebuilding the enamel.

I think this is what they're getting at:

>> The scientists are not recommending DIY treatments though. People who are experiencing any worrying toothache should still see a dentist, they stress.

I don't think that's a long-term solution for everyone, though. I have had painful sensations when drinking ice water or eating ice cream my whole life. My dentist sees no apparent reason for this: I don't have significant gum disease, and I've never had a cavity so I would imagine my enamel has been in good shape. If there's something else specific my dentist can look for to see why I have the pain, or something better than Sensodyne, then it's new to me and my dentist.

Prescription Fluoride Toothpaste was a life changer for me. The tube is like $20 but lasts about a year (you don't use much).

It took a few months of nightly use, but It drastically changed my cold sensitivity. I can bite into ice cream and popsicles now, something that always hurt as a kid.

You also might want to consider a different dentist, as there is a large range of ability with them.

I was always told that "rebuilding enamel" isn't possible?

I've developed temperature sensitivity as I've aged, and now cold water in the mornings will trigger pain in certain teeth.

It's quite disappointing that the common advice is "brush twice daily and floss", which I've been doing my entire life (flossing for at least a decade).

Getting older sucks, and I'm not even that old.

There is a sensodyne toothpaste with novamin that supposedly repairs enamel. I’ve heard it’s only available in Europe and Asia though.

There's a similar formula available in the US called Biomin that's FDA approved and distributed by Dr Collins. Their fluoridated version isn't FDA approved yet, but it works well for me used 50/50 with an OTC stannous fluoride toothpaste.

I can vouch for this toothpaste (it's called Repair & Protect). After about a week of use, no more pain when eating or drinking cold things. It had gotten so bad that I could hardly swirl even lukewarm water (do see a dentist too though if you have problems).

There are independent studies confirming the efficacy. The active ingredient binds to dentite and forms a protective layer, which lasts about a day.

It's OTC in Europe but afaik on prescription in the US. Maybe buy it from an EU web shop, it's no more expensive than a regular toothpaste.

For me, I went to a dentist with good reviews, he asked if I had sensitivity to cold and I said no. He said try X anyway. I tried it and it's one of those experiences like people who put on glasses that didn't know they had vision issues. I like ice cream again.

There's some ways to build up enamel as long as you've not eaten away at the dentin (aka cavity). There's tooth paste and mouth wash that has small particles that get stuck in groves in your teeth and helps enamel grow. It also reduces sensitivity. My dentist recommended something for me so I'm assuming it's not one-size-fits-all.

I thought that is what fluoride does. I guess maybe it isn’t effective at some point of decay.

It does but you have to give it a chance to work.

You have to leave the fluoride on without rinsing, give it time to work (30 mins without drinking fluids), and reduce the amount of acidic foods you eat that is eroding the enamel.

Talk to your dentist about getting a prescription for fluoride toothpaste/treatment. The one I use is a paste you use once a day after brushing, you brush it on and spit it out without rinsing. It has a higher concentration of fluoride than you get in a normal toothpaste.

After using it for a while (couple of months) I started noticing a drastic improvement to cold sensitivity. To the point I can bite into ice cream or popsicles without any cold pain.

When I was a kid I discovered I could make brain freeze stop by flexing my jaw muscle and holding it tense for a few seconds.

I used to hold the side of the cold bowl to my forehead for a few seconds. That never failed.

I am currently doing a teeth whitening with peroxide and my teeth are extremely sensitive right now! Anyone else experienced this? Any explanation for this?

Peroxide eats away at the enamel layer. It's not good for your teeth. You might want to combine sensodyne or similar toothpaste with your treatment.

If I start my day with something spicy, my palate often hurts. Switching to something cool and sweet, often takes the pain/discomfort away. Anecdotal.

I wanna whine that dentistry is still in the dark ages. One way a dentist will test if a tooth needs a root canal is to apply electricity to the tooth at increasingly higher levels until it hurts at a level that some, myself at least, would call Jack Bauer level of torture. And, AFAICT it's entirely unreliable. You can make the pain happen in any tooth or at least that's my experience.

I've had way too many RCTs and I've never been subject to this kind of test. Every where I've been to a dentist, I've always been asked to take an X-ray, in which the extent of damage is clearly visible even to untrained eyes.

Seriously? Electric shocks? Last time I went to a dentist she did an xray of the tooth that hurt me. Then she showed me the high resolution photo on the computer screen where I could clearly see what looked like a "bubble of something" right beneath one of the roots. This I was told is why I needed root canal treatment.

The dentist used handheld xray machine.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Electric+Pulp+Tester

I always thought that the formal scientific term was: Slurpee Headache. </sarc>

Finally! I have this problem when I was a kid and teens and it hurts. The back of my brain would be in pain whenever I have ice cream. The effect seems to have lessen as I age though. And my teeth is surely not in great shape as when I was young.

I get brain freezes in my neck ...

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