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Pangingilo 101: Why It Hurts Like Crazy

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When the sweltering heat becomes unbearable, few things in life feel better than downing a fresh bowl of halo-halo. It is a quick relief that works like magic every single time — at least for most of us.

For those with pangingilo, eating ice cream — or anything cold for that matter — is like biting down on tiny razors. The pain shoots through the tooth and right into your brain, which is not the most pleasant experience in the world.

But why does pangingilo hurt so much, anyway? And is there anything that can help us bite into life without pangingilo?

Natural Wear and Tear

Your gums pull back and expose the surface underneath — called dentin. Normal wear and tear, for example, exposes enamel and exposes the dentin. This soft layer has thousands of tiny “tubes”, which lead straight to the tooth’s nerve centre. So when something cold hits the dentin, the nerves go into overdrive and register it as pain.

Gum Disease

When you have gum disease, or gingivitis, your inflamed and sore gums tend to pull back as well, thus revealing the roots of your teeth.

Meet the Solution

For serious cases, your dentist can provide treatments or information that minimize the causes. For example, they may apply a fluoride varnish that strengthens your weaker teeth.

But there are at-home remedies, too, like Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief. You know those “tubes” we talked about? Those are dentin tubules — and they hate Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief, because it plugs and seals them, giving you relief from this irritating pain.