Visiting the dentist isn't always the most pleasant experience but taking good care of your teeth can help lessen the trauma. In addition to brushing and flossing regularly, there are certain foods that can trigger pain in your teeth. Over consumption of sugar can lead to cavities and tooth decay while certain foods can trigger pain in sensitive teeth. Teeth become sensitive for a number of reasons: when a tooth cracks, enamel wears away or because the gums have worn away and nerves are now exposed. Ice Cream This is probably the most obvious food to avoid as the cold temperature can cause a dart of pain in sensitive teeth. While using toothpaste designed for sensitive teeth is a wise move, cutting down on ice-cream can help alleviate pain. While it's a popular food during the summer months, no one feels like ice cream during dreary December and it will be easy to cut down. Coffee/ Tea Depending on the temperature of these liquids, they can also trigger pain in sensitive teeth. Soup can also be problematic for anyone with sensitive teeth which is annoying when you want a quick but nourishing meal option. Using a straw when drinking these liquids is one way of getting around this problem, you can enjoy the taste while avoiding the pain. Boiled Sweets/ Candy Hard foods like candy/sweets are best avoided if you have sensitive teeth as eating them requires you to chew and bite down which can cause a cracked tooth. The added pressure of chewing and biting will cause sensitivity and a cracked tooth will also prove very painful. Acidic foods e.g lemons/lemomade These foods can wear down tooth enamel, thus contributing to tooth sensitivity. Avoid these foods if you have sensitive teeth, because acidic foods can also aggravate gastric reflux which can also impact on tooth sensitivity. Soft Drinks We've all heard how bad soft drinks are for contributing to tooth decay and they can also trigger tooth sensitivity. They wear down tooth enamel and can cause pain in your teeth. We're not saying to ban them completely but cutting down is advisable. What's the answer to sensitive teeth? Try Colgate® Sensitive Pro-Relief Toothpaste. It is clinically proven to address the cause of sensitivity rather than just numbing the pain. It is recommended that you use Colgate® Sensitive Pro-Relief  toothpaste twice a day or as directed by a dentist for lasting relief. Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief Toothpaste 75ml, €4.99 Stocked at  Dunnes, Supervalu, Superquinns, Tesco, Boots, Superdrug or visit the Colgate Website.