Mint & burning

Why toothpaste stings, foams and makes people gag.

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Check the Height Before Anything Else

A sensitive tooth for a few weeks after a filling is expected. One specific cause gets missed constantly, and it is fixed in minutes with a strip of paper.

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For Many People It Is the Toothpaste

For a large number of people the cause is the toothpaste, and switching tubes ends years of them. Here is the rest of the list and what to do while one heals.

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Breathe Through Your Nose. It Delays It.

Gagging while you brush is a choking reflex triggered by a toothbrush. Two tricks from people who live with it work at once, and neither involves willpower.

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The Difference Is Whether It Lingers

Teeth sensitive to cold are teeth with exposed dentin. One dentist drew the line between normal and worth-checking in a single sentence about how long it lasts.

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Your Toothpaste Isn't Spicy. It's the SLS.

If brushing feels like chili pepper, there's a specific ingredient behind it — and it isn't the flavor. Here's what people found when they went looking.