There’s no doubt that sensitivity is an uncomfortable experience for anyone especially when it comes to sensitivity in your mouth or in particular, your tongue. This may leave you questioning if metal braces are right for you and in order to determine this, it’s best to explore what may be causing your sensitivity.
In particular, there are multiple causes for a sensitive tongue that may make your tongue feel like an extremely hot liquid has scorched the surface of it. For starters, this is typically referred to as burning mouth syndrome or burning tongue syndrome. This kind of discomfort can occur suddenly or develop over a period of time. Unfortunately, the cause is often unable to be determined. However, there are multiple factors that help to contribute to possible causes of this condition.
Dry mouth (xerostomia): Various medications, health problems, salivary gland function, etc. are capable of causing dry mouth to occur.
Other oral conditions: Conditions such as oral thrush (a fungal infection) can cause to give rise to a painful sensitive tongue.
Nutritional deficiencies: Vitamins and minerals are important for the body to function properly and a deficiency in iron, zinc, folate (vitamin B-9), thiamin (vitamin B-1), riboflavin (vitamin B-12), pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), and cobalamin (vitamin B-12) could contribute to burning mouth syndrome. It’s important that you are eating a well-balanced diet with the proper fruits, vegetables, and proteins to ensure that your body is getting what it needs. Talk to a doctor before considering taking any dietary supplements.
Medications: Certain medications can come with certain side effects, which may cause severe oral discomfort of the mouth and tongue. Talk with your doctor immediately if you believe medications may be causing your tongue sensitivity.
If you believe that any of these factors may be a contributing factor to your discomfort, it’s important that you notify your doctor, dentist or orthodontist immediately.
Prior to getting braces, it would be best to have a dentist or orthodontist evaluate your mouth to see if your tongue discomfort would affect getting braces in anyway. Additionally, a dentist or orthodontist may be able to find the leading cause of your discomfort and could treat your individual symptoms first prior to getting your braces put on.
To learn more about braces and the additional treatments that Gladwell Orthodontics provides, please contact us today! We look forward to learning how we can best help you.
