--- title: Sensitive: Why Are My Teeth Sensitive to Cold? description: Sometimes teeth are just sensitive to cold and hot temps. But certain tooth sensitivities are signs of trouble, like periodontal disease canonical: https://time.com/3889122/sensitive-teeth/ author: Markham Heid article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-05-20T10:00:50.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:43:15.225Z article:section: Health og:title: You Asked: Why Are My Teeth So Sensitive? og:description: Sometimes teeth are just sensitive to cold and hot temps. But certain tooth sensitivities are signs of trouble, like periodontal disease og:url: https://time.com/3889122/sensitive-teeth/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0fc2b3ec0569286a/698850e6e20a875df7a8b6dd/you-asked-tooth-sensitivity.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: You Asked: Why Are My Teeth So Sensitive? og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: You Asked: Why Are My Teeth So Sensitive? twitter:description: Sometimes teeth are just sensitive to cold and hot temps. But certain tooth sensitivities are signs of trouble, like periodontal disease twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0fc2b3ec0569286a/698850e6e20a875df7a8b6dd/you-asked-tooth-sensitivity.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # You Asked: Why Are My Teeth So Sensitive? > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Health Matters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Health Matters is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The latest health news and expert advice on living well. Health Matters makes the fast-moving world of health more useful, surprising and human, from the latest science and medical breakthroughs to practical ideas for living better. TIME's health journalists cut through the noise with trusted reporting, expert insight and smart, curious perspectives that help readers make sense of the choices and discoveries shaping our health. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=2f7ed49e-7907-4f40-92be-e1d0fd201ff2&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Daily | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Written by TIME's health desk | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership Health conscious and health connected. A broad health-conscious audience with a credible institutional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ### TIME Health Matters: key statements * Health Matters is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * Health Matters is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/newsletters?i=2f7ed49e-7907-4f40-92be-e1d0fd201ff2&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-health-2026q3/subscribe?i=2f7ed49e-7907-4f40-92be-e1d0fd201ff2&cr=time-nl-health-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's health newsletter? Health Matters is TIME's daily health newsletter, written by TIME's health journalists. It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's daily health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free daily newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ## Video: Should I Drink Smoothies? [Watch (HLS stream): Should I Drink Smoothies?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/yaJvnmtl.m3u8) (1:40)  _Published 2015-04-01. Are fruit smoothies good for you? Here's why 3 out of 5 experts said yes._ by [Markham Heid](https://time.com/author/markham-heid/) ## Markham Heid Markham Heid is a contributor at TIME. He is the author of The Habit Trap, due out in early 2027. May 20, 2015 10:00 AM UTC  Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME by [Markham Heid](https://time.com/author/markham-heid/) ## Markham Heid Markham Heid is a contributor at TIME. He is the author of The Habit Trap, due out in early 2027. May 20, 2015 10:00 AM UTC You feel it when you sip a hot drink or bite into a cool dessert: an ache, an acute stab of pain. Even a sharp breath of cold air might trigger a twinge. “Any tooth sensitivity is trying to tell us something,” says Dr. Matt Messina, an Ohio-based dentist and spokesperson for the American Dental Association. “It may be easy to treat, but something is still causing it.” For dentists, the most common (and least alarming) sensitivity is an all-over reaction to very cold stimuli, Messina says. Especially if that cold-induced pain is short-lived, you probably don’t have reason to worry. But if the pain is persistent and confined to a specific tooth or area of your mouth, that’s a problem. “That’s often the sign of a micro-crack, a degraded filling or a cavity,” Messina says. Those conditions, all of which require a dentist’s attention, become more probable if the tooth or area is also sensitive to heat and biting pressure. “If you have reactions to all three—cold, hot, and biting pressure—we could also be talking about some sort of infection in the tooth,” Messina adds. If you’re dealing with an all-over ache, your gums—not your teeth—may explain your pain. Exposing your gums to irritants or harsh treatment makes them recede. And when they do, they leave exposed the tender roots near the base of your teeth. “Your roots don’t have the same quality of protective enamel as your crowns, so they’re more sensitive,” says Dr. Eugene Ko of the University of Michigan’s department of oral pathology. Brushing too forcefully, chewing tobacco or allowing the buildup of plaque can all cause your gums to “run away” from your teeth, resulting in temperature sensitivity, Messina says. If you think gum recession might be the cause of your sensitivity, Ko says you may be able to look in a mirror and spot the issue. “The margin where your teeth and gums meet: there may be a change in color, almost like water elevation marks during a drought.” Of course, there are many more reasons for temperature-sensitive teeth. Those include the excessive use of mouthwash or whitening products, dead or dying nerves, tooth grinding, recent dental work or serious gum issues like gingivitis or periodontal disease. Messina also says eating lots of acidic foods—things like soda, sports drinks, sour candy or citrus fruits and juices—can lead to a loss of tooth enamel that renders your teeth sensitive to temperature. Apart from ditching those foods, Messina advises carefully reading and following instructions when using whiteners, mouth rinses, or other dental hygiene treatments. “More is not always better,” he warns. When it comes to brushing, apply gentle pressure with a soft-bristle toothbrush. “You’re trying to massage you teeth all the way to the junction where they come together with your gums,” Messina says. “You should not be scrubbing like you would tub grout.” If changing your brushing technique doesn’t do the trick, he says switching to a sensitive-teeth toothpaste can help. “These contain a chemical agent that fills tubules in teeth and blocks sensitivity,” he says. No matter what, you should mention the temperature issue to your dentist during your next visit. “Big problems often start out as sensitivities,” Messina says. “The solutions are often simple, but only if we address the problem early.” ### You Asked: Your Top 10 Health Questions Answered  You Asked: Are Cleanses Healthy? Potions that claim to clear your body of toxins might sound alluring, but do they deliver? Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Eating Dessert Really That Bad For Me? Bad news for sweet-eaters—except if you end your meals with this kind of treat. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What’s the Best Way to Whiten My Teeth? Yes, teeth whitening actually works—but here's why you have to dish out major bucks to see results. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Meditation Really Worth It? From easing stress to lowering heart disease risk, focusing your mind can do some amazing things for your body. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What’s the Healthiest Sweetener? Take a taste of the unsettled science of sweeteners. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Should I Go Paleo? The pros and cons of eating like a caveman. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Cracking Your Knuckles Bad? Here's what really happens to your joints when you snap, crackle and pop. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Is Running on a Treadmill as Good as Running Outside? You'll fool your body into thinking it's outside with this one small treadmill tweak. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: Does Laughing Have Real Health Benefits? Here's proof that everybody could use a belly laugh. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME  You Asked: What Is My Poo Telling Me? If you listen hard enough, you'll hear all kinds of health stories from #2. Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] Should you drink smoothies? Three out of five of our experts say yes. They're one of the easiest ways to add fruit to your diet, says Joseph Price. His study found that only 4 % of kids ate a serving of fruit when they ate breakfast at school. But with smoothies on the menu, that number jumped to 45 %. Calories from fruit can add up quickly, says Laura Jeffers. So aim for a glass that's 70 % veggies and 30 % fruits. Still, smoothies just aren't that satisfying. People ate 12 % more calories when they drank their food instead of eating it, found a study by Richard Mattes. [ MUSIC ] Two of our experts think fruit smoothies in particular can do some real damage. Blender blades destroy the insoluble fiber in produce, says Robert Lustig. Which means that there's nothing keeping the sugar from being rapidly absorbed. That overwhelms the liver he says. And all that extra sugar might put us on a path to metabolic syndrome and other health problems. Vegetables have far less sugar, so green smoothies are far less of a risk he says. Even though they're insoluble fiber still takes a beating. Smoothies are so new, there's no research on there long term impacts points out Barry Popkin, but he thinks they might be the new fruit juice. Seemingly healthy, but a sugar bomb in disguise. Is contributing to diseases like diabetes. So go ahead and whip up a smoothie. Just make sure it's far more green than it is pink. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3889122/sensitive-teeth/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3889122/sensitive-teeth/"},"headline":"You Asked: Why Are My Teeth So Sensitive?","datePublished":"2015-05-20T10:00:50.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T07:43:15.225Z","description":"Sometimes teeth are just touchy. But certain sensitivities are signs of trouble.","url":"https://time.com/3889122/sensitive-teeth/","keywords":["Healthcare"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0fc2b3ec0569286a/698850e6e20a875df7a8b6dd/you-asked-tooth-sensitivity.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Markham Heid","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/markham-heid/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0fc2b3ec0569286a/698850e6e20a875df7a8b6dd/you-asked-tooth-sensitivity.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"You Asked: Why Are My Teeth So Sensitive?","caption":"You Asked: Why Are My Teeth So Sensitive?","creditText":"Illustration by Peter Oumanski for TIME","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/healthcare/","name":"Healthcare"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3889122/sensitive-teeth/","name":"You Asked: Why Are My Teeth So Sensitive?"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Should I Drink Smoothies?","description":"Are fruit smoothies good for you? Here's why 3 out of 5 experts said yes.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/yaJvnmtl/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-04-01T21:05:12.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/yaJvnmtl.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3889122/sensitive-teeth/","duration":"PT1M40S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3889122/sensitive-teeth/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```