Sometimes your teeth might feel off, and it could make you ask “why do my teeth feel weird?”. You even look in the mirror and check your teeth to see if there is anything wrong with them, but you might not see anything. It might come on when you eat or drink something, or do your chores. This is due to the nervous system in your teeth. All those nerve endings can be triggered and cause that weird sensation. We are going to go into more detail about its reasons. So stick around and keep reading to find out more.
Reasons why your teeth feel weird
There could be a handful of reasons that cause our teeth to feel weird or tingling, such as a bad bite, cavities, or being allergic to oral care products. Most of them won’t need medical attention straight away, but it is best to pay attention to those feelings trying to communicate with us. That weird feeling might be signaling a more serious problem. Here are 15 reasons behind the question “why do my teeth feel weird”.
Reason 1: Malocclusion
There’s so many different types of bites, one of them is malocclusion. Malocclusion or a bad bite could cause your mouth and teeth to feel weird and uncomfortable. This happens because your upper teeth and lower teeth do not seat right together. It means each tooth will experience different biting pressure when you eat and that can lead to that strange feeling in your teeth.
Reason 2: Gum disease
That weird feeling in your teeth could be because of your gum tissue. If your gum tissue is infected, it can cause your teeth to feel weird. The symptoms of gum disease are redness and swelling in the gum tissue. These symptoms of swelling or redness can turn into aggressive gum diseases such as gingivitis or periodontitis if left untreated.
Reason 3: Gum recession
Gum recession is when your gum tissue pulls back from your teeth, sometimes even to the point that the roots of your teeth are exposed to the environment. That makes gum recession another culprit for the weird sensation in your teeth. If the gum recession is extreme, and the roots of your teeth are too exposed, it could cause your teeth to feel sensitive. Eventually if not treated, it could lead to tooth loss.
Reason 4: Ulcers and cold sores
There is not much scientific research done to back this up. However, there have been a few throughout the years that say before seeing any signs of an ulcer or a cold sore, you might feel a stinging sensation in your mouth and gums. This could also affect your teeth as to feel tingly.
Some dentists recommend laser treatment for ulcers and cold sores. You can talk with your dentist to see if the laser treatment is suitable for you or not. There are medications that your dentist can prescribe as well if you frequently experience having a cold sore.
Reason 5: Oral care ingredients
Some people might have a slight allergic reaction to some of the ingredients in toothpaste or mouthwash. Using kinds of toothpaste or mouthwash that have those triggering ingredients can cause a tingling sensation in the mouth and even in the teeth. This also could be due to those oral care products causing a dry mouth. When your mouth is dry, it affects your gum tissue. Not only that but a dry mouth can cause tooth enamel surfaces to wear leading up to a weird feeling in your teeth.
Reason 6: Food stuck between teeth
I’m sure you’ve experienced this with popcorn. Yes, when something goes somewhere they do not belong, it can cause an uncomfortable feeling. In this case, food going between our teeth or even in our gum pockets can cause that weird feeling after we eat something. The best way to avoid this is to rinse your mouth after you have eaten something and floss.
Reason 7: Chipped or broken tooth
Sometimes we do not realize our tooth has been chipped, but we feel that little tingling in it. Your tooth might look fine from the outside, but even a small chip can cause a weird feeling in your tooth. In the worst cases, if your tooth is broken, it can cause the same uncomfortable feeling in your teeth.
Reason 8: Hot and cold foods
Ever since we were kids our parents told us not to drink or eat hot food and cold drinks right after each other. Not only it causes tooth sensitivity but the drastic temperature change can cause the enamel to crack, and you would end up with the question why do my teeth feel weird? Cold foods such as ice cream can cause the same issue as well.
Reason 9: Ascorbic acid
Ascorbic acid, more commonly known as vitamin C, can cause our teeth to feel weird. Foods such as tomatoes, citrus fruit, peppers, and berries all contain ascorbic acid, therefore, they can cause weird sensations in your teeth. So, next time you have some acidic foods or added lemon juice to your salad and your teeth feel tingly you know why it happened. This could happen with acidic beverages as well.
Reason 10: Oxalic acid
If you have ever had a spinach salad and afterward your teeth had a gritty feeling, it is because of oxalic acid. It feels like your teeth are dull, and you can not really chew your food. When you bite into spinach, oxalic acid is released and combined with the calcium in your saliva creating calcium oxalate crystals. Those crystals do not resolve in water, therefore, you end up with a chalky feeling in your mouth. Other foods that contain oxalic acid are leafy greens like swiss chard, beets, and rhubarb to name a few. It is also referred to as spinach tooth.
Reason 11: Teeth grinding
When you wake up in the morning, have you ever asked yourself “why do my teeth feel weird?”. Well, it could be because you clench your teeth at night while you sleep. That extra pressure on your teeth and jaws can give your teeth a weird feeling. Also, teeth grinding or bruxism can erode tooth enamel. If left untreated, it can cause tooth sensitivity, which will eventually lead to a weird feeling in your teeth.
Reason 12: Cavities
Unfortunately, that weird feeling in your teeth could be caused by cavities. First, it starts with those little brown or black spots on the teeth that are caused by bacteria on the teeth. The bacteria buildup can make it worse and turn it into cavities. Since the bacteria could penetrate the tooth enamel, tooth decay could be another reason for your teeth to feel weird. The only way to fix cavities is by going to the dentist and letting your dentist deal with it.
Reason 13: Plaque buildup
If we skip our regular teeth cleanings, those harmful bacteria in our mouths can turn into plaque and tartar buildup. The buildup of plaque can cause a fuzzy feeling in our teeth. Another problem with plaque buildup is sensitive teeth.
Reason 14: Dental treatment
If you have recently been to your dentist and gotten some work done on your teeth such as teeth whitening or deep cleaning afterward your teeth could be feeling weird. Since these procedures get rid of the bacterial buildup on your teeth and under your gum line, your teeth feel too exposed to the environment hence the weird feeling.
Reason 15: Infection
Any part of your teeth gum or mouth can get infected and cause your teeth to feel weird. Sometimes it is not even directly related to your teeth. Here are the three major reasons that include infection of some sort and could eventually cause your teeth to feel weird.
Pulpitis
Each tooth in your mouth has a fleshy part inside that is called the pulp. If your tooth pulp is infected or just inflamed, it could give you that tingly feeling in your teeth and mouth. Most probably you will need to visit your dentist to get a root canal to fix the pulpitis.
Sinus inflammation
Yes, sinus inflammation and sinus infection both can cause your teeth to feel weird. Especially your teeth on your upper jaw. Right above our upper jaw lies our sinus cavity and, if by any chance, there is a bacterial infection or inflammation due to allergies, it could affect your teeth. In this situation, a dentist might not be able to help you. If you have a sinus infection you should visit an ear, nose, and throat doctor, or ENT doctor.
Tooth abscess
In rare cases, tooth abscess might not show up with any typical symptoms such as pain. You might just have that weird feeling in your gum. It could be one tooth or a few teeth that feel a throbbing or a tingling sensation around them. It is best to give your dentist a visit to make sure it is not a tooth abscess.
So far we have tried to give you a comprehensive list of things that cause you to ask yourself “why do my teeth feel weird?” Hopefully, you have found the answer to your question, or maybe you have only been researching to learn more. Whatever makes you smile and show those pearly whites. Now let’s go through some frequently asked questions about weird feelings on teeth.
FAQ about weird feelings and teeth
We all have questions and there is no shame in asking. These are some of the most common questions about that weird feeling that we might sometimes feel in our teeth.
Why do my teeth feel weird after eating spinach?
A leafy vegetable such as spinach is full of oxalic acid. When you eat spinach, that acid mixes with your saliva and creates crystals of calcium oxalate. Calcium oxalate crystals sit on our teeth and cause a chalky sensation in our mouths.
Why do bananas make my teeth feel weird?
Bananas contain a kind of carbohydrate called resistant starch. This starch can not be dissolved by our saliva, and it sticks around. That is the main reason for the weird feeling on your teeth when you eat a banana.
Why do my teeth feel weird when I wake up?
If you are talking about that fuzzy feeling in your mouth and on your teeth when you wake up in the morning, it is plaque buildup. Overnight the bacteria buildup in our mouth and lead to fuzzy teeth in the morning.
Why do my bottom front teeth feel weird?
There could be more than one answer to this question. If you describe that weird feeling as a gritty feeling behind your bottom front it is tartar buildup. Bits of tarter buildup can calcify and cause that feeling.
Another reason could be teeth grinding or bruxism. You could be clenching your jaw when you are not noticing or even in sleep and that puts a lot of extra pressure on your teeth hence the weird feeling in your bottom front teeth.
The gum recession could be the culprit as well. Our bottom front teeth are more prone to lose gum tissue and when that happens the roots can be exposed to the environment making them sensitive. That is why your bottom front teeth feel weird.
Why do my teeth feel weird after a filling?
Your teeth feeling weird after filling is normal. For a dental filling, the dentist injects a local anesthetic to help with not feeling the pain. After the procedure, the anesthetic starts to wear off and the tooth that has been filled is going to feel weird for a while. It is better to avoid eating until your filling sets and your tooth is less sensitive.
Why do my teeth feel weird after brushing?
There could be a few reasons for that. It could be because of the way you brush your teeth. If you still have fuzzy teeth after brushing it is mostly due to missed plaque buildup on your teeth’ surface. Try brushing for a longer time and with better precision.
This weird feeling could be because of your toothpaste. Your teeth could be sensitive or sensitive to some ingredients in the toothpaste. Using a special toothpaste or sensitive toothpaste could be helpful with dialing down your tooth discomfort.
Why do my teeth feel weird after flossing?
Sorry to say this, but your tooth discomfort could be due to periodontal disease. Your teeth feel weird after flossing because of the damage of gum disease to the gums. Not only your gums are irritated after flossing but you might even notice some minor bleeding as well.
Why do my teeth feel weird when I eat sweets?
If your teeth feel weird when you eat sugary treats it is in fact because of the sugar! It might come as a surprise to you but the bacteria in your mouth can turn sugar into acid. That acid will cause your teeth’ enamel to erode and it could cause sensitivity and tooth decay.
Why do my teeth feel weird after dental deep cleaning?
What happens in your deep cleaning appointment is that your dentist removes all plaque buildup from all tooth surfaces and gum pockets. Once removed your teeth will feel sensitive and exposed until your gum tissue attaches to your teeth again and tooth discomfort subsides.
When should I go to the dentist’s office?
If the weird feeling continues to exist or turns into pain or something different after a few days go to your dentist immediately. Hopefully, it won’t be a serious issue but regardless your dentist can help you best.
Before we get to the end we are reminding you not to miss your dental appointments. Even if you think there is nothing wrong with your teeth, gums, or oral health in general. The moral of this article is dental checkups are important but also not every weird feeling could be a serious issue. So stay sharp like your teeth!
We at Dentfix hope this article has been helpful to you. If you have more questions or any concerns about your oral health don’t hesitate to contact us! Our medical assistants will be happy to help you!