How Sinus Pain And Dental Pain Are Related
Posted on: 10 October 2017
Your teeth and your sinuses are closely linked. Problems in one area can cause problems in the other. When you're having pain in your mouth, and your face or jaw is very tender, you may not know the source of the pain. A trip to the dentist can rule out problems with your teeth, or if your teeth are the problem, fixing them might help with your sinus pain. Here are a few things to know.
Dental Symptoms Of A Sinus Infection
The pain from a sinus infection can feel a lot like a toothache. However, the pain is often spread over a few teeth rather than being localized in one tooth. There could be swelling like you would see with an abscessed tooth and your gums and face may be tender to the touch. The pain in your teeth may even get worse when your dentist taps on them.
Diagnosing The Cause Of The Pain
While you may go to the dentist in hope that a filling or root canal will stop your pain, you may need treatment for a sinus infection instead. The first step is to examine your teeth to look for something that would cause your pain. Your dentist will look for cracks in the enamel and cavities. An x-ray may be taken to get a better look at the health of your teeth. If your teeth have no problems and x-rays show fluid or mucus in your sinus cavities, then that's a good indication the problem is a sinus infection rather than a tooth infection.
When A Tooth Infection Is To Blame
One cause of sinus problems is an infection from a tooth that has spread. The infection can invade the bone and affect the sinus cavity. Pus can accumulate in your sinuses and cause pain deep in your face that radiates up to your eye. In this case, you might know you have a sinus infection, but are not aware the cause is an infected tooth. You may need antibiotics to kill the bacterial infection, but until the dentist treats your tooth, the infection may keep coming back. You might need a root canal or even an extraction to stop the infection and heal the bone.
Different things cause sinus infections. It could be viral, bacterial, or fungal in nature. Medications may help depending on the type of infection you have. Some infections clear up quickly with treatment while others linger for many months and are difficult to cure.
Sinus pain and tooth pain are closely related and they can be frustrating to endure. Your doctor may treat your sinus infection but not consider your infected tooth as a cause. If you have an infection or pain, you should consider seeing a dentist, like Elizabeth Loseke DDS, to see if your teeth are to blame.
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