Your Sinus Infection Might Be A Sign Of A Tooth Problem
Each year thousands of people develop sinus infections from various causes. But there’s one cause for sinusitis that might surprise youtooth decay.
Tooth decay begins when the acid produced by oral bacteria erodes a tooth’s enamel protection to create a small hole or cavity. Left untreated, the infection can move into the inner pulp of the tooth and tiny passageways leading to the roots called root canals. The decay can then infect and break down the structure of the supporting jawbone.
This could affect the sinus cavities, hollow air-filled spaces in the upper portion of the face. The maxillary sinus in particular sits behind the cheek bones just above the upper jaw. Tooth roots, particularly in back teeth, can extend quite near or even poke through the floor of the maxillary sinus.
If decay affects these roots, the bone beneath this floor may begin to break down and allow the bacterial infection to enter the sinus. We call this particular kind of sinus infection maxillary sinusitis of endodontic origin , “endodontic” referring to the interior structure of teeth.
So, if you’re suffering from chronic sinus infections, you might talk with your dentist about the possibility of a tooth infection. A thorough examination might reveal a decayed tooth in need of treatment.
If you would like more information on how dental problems can affect your overall health, please contact us or schedule an appointment for a consultation.
What Are Some Home Remedies For Sinus Toothaches
Luckily, there are several home remedies for sinus toothaches, such as:
- Rinsing With Saltwater: Rinsing your mouth with a saltwater solution can reduce inflammation. For best results, rinse your mouth several times a day for 30 seconds.
- Applying heating pads and cold compresses: By alternating between placing heating pads and cold compresses on the affected area for 15 minutes at a time, you can relieve sinus toothache pain.
- Taking over-the-counter pain relievers: Taking ibuprofen, aspirin, or acetaminophen or applying topical numbing gels that contain benzocaine can help reduce toothache pain.
To get rid of your sinus infection and stop your sinus toothache in its tracks, try:
Sinusitis Tooth Pain Relief
If you cant make it to the doctor or dentist right away, you can try relieving your sinusitis tooth pain with these methods:
- Use a saline solution to rinse your sinuses. Doing this will remove moisture and discharge from your sinuses.
- Eat foods rich in vitamin C, calcium, and Omega 3 fatty acids.
- Drink a lot of water and fluids to thin the mucus in your sinuses.
- When sleeping, switch on a humidifier.
- Take over-the-counter expectorants and decongestants.
- Eat spicy foods.
- When sleeping or resting, keep your head in a tilted position.
- Brush the painful teeth using a gentle brush and a toothpaste that is made for sensitive teeth.
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Sinus Treatments Wont Solve The Problem
Patients with sinus trouble may go to their doctor or ear, nose, and throat specialist for treatment of sinus symptoms for years without ever realizing the problem comes from an infected tooth. Antibiotics can temporarily relieve the symptoms, but they wont do anything to shut down the bacteria factory inside the tooth because there is no longer blood flow inside it. Eventually, that bacteria will come back, and the symptoms along with them.
Do Wisdom Teeth Grow Back
No. But it is possible to have more than one set of wisdom teeth.
In extremely rare cases, in under 2 percent of the population, people are born with an extra set of wisdom teeth, beyond the usual four. These supernumerary, another word for extra, usually appear after your first set of wisdom teeth has been removed.
Dont worry you wont just wake up one day with a second set of wisdom teeth growing in. Your dentist will see these teeth on X-rays and inform you about them well before they begin to grow. Often people mistakenly think an extra set of wisdom teeth means the ones you had removed grew back, but clearly this is not the case.
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When An Infection Spreads
Not all tooth infections come with toothaches, however. An infection that develops in the root of one of the upper back teeth can spread to the sinuses, and the patient and clinicians wont necessarily recognize it for what it is. An incorrect diagnosis based on sinus symptoms that doesnt factor in the infected tooth can lead to ineffective treatment, and the patient may then develop a sinus disease called maxillary sinusitis of endodontic origin .
What Is A Dental Abscess
A tooth abscess is a bubble of pus thats caused by a bacterial infection. It may be located at the root of the tooth or on the gums near the affected tooth. It is usually due to an untreated cavity or injury.
In some cases, Dr. Holtzman can treat the issue with a root canal or other procedures, but at other times, such as in the case of a fracture, a dental extraction may be necessary.
The abscess may burst on its own, providing some temporary relief, but eventually it will return. If this cycle continues for too long, it may lead to various health complications. Bacterial infections in your mouth may lead to infections in your blood stream, endanger your bone health, and eventually put your heart at risk. The fluid found in the abscesses has been linked with harmful buildup in the arteries.
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Is Your Tooth Pain Caused By Blocked Sinus
Theres no worse experience than tooth pain. It can be a throbbing, aching feeling that radiates from your mouth to your jaw. Eventually a tooth pain can give you a terrible headache. If youre really unlucky, your tooth pain can lead to nausea, migraines and joint pain.
But is the source of this pain simply your teeth? Its important to get to the root cause of the problem. There is a chance that your tooth pain is caused by a blocked sinus. If you suffer from chronic nasal congestion as well as toothaches, the two might be related. Read ahead for valuable information that can help you in a dental emergency.
Its time to stop letting tooth pain run your life. No more missed days at work and missing out on time with your friends and family! Stop suffering and get to the root of the problem! If your tooth pain is caused by chronic nasal congestion, a natural sinus remedy can solve the problem.
Sinus Infection And Tooth Pain
If you have both a sinus infection and tooth pain, youre probably wondering, has one caused the other? Unfortunately, sinus infections and toothaches can often go hand-in-hand.
Learn why tooth pain is one more bothersome symptom you have to watch out for when youre dealing with a sinus infection and what you can do to find relief.
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There Are Four Different Ways Wisdom Teeth May Be Impacted
You may hear your dentist use these terms when describing them:
- Mesial impaction The tooth is angled too far toward the front of the mouth. This is the most common type of impaction.
- Vertical impaction These teeth are coming in fairly straight, but there isnt enough room in the mouth to accommodate them.
- Horizontal impaction Teeth that are horizontally impacted are lying on their side.
- Distal impaction Distally impacted teeth are tilted toward the back of the mouth.
- Soft tissue impaction This occurs when the tooth has erupted through the gum.
- Bony impaction When the tooth is still within the bone but has emerged through the gum, its a bony impaction.
How Tooth Implants Can Lead To Sinus Issues
It is possible for certain tooth implants to impinge on the sinus cavity. This typically occurs in instances in which an error was made in the initial placement of the post. If one does not receive treatment, the tooth implant has the potential to become loose and can lead to an infection. It is interesting to note there is minimal risk to the patients sinus area during the tooth implant surgery. In most cases, upwards of a couple millimeters worth of a tooth implant can penetrate the sinus area during placement without any long-term complications. If there is any worry there will not be enough bone below the sinus, a procedure known as a sinus lift will be the most effective option. This procedure empowers the surgeon to place additional bone in the sinus air cavity for ample implant stabilization.
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Can A Tooth Infection Spread To Your Sinuses
While a sinus infection and tooth pain normally arise in that order, a tooth infection can, in fact, lead to sinus inflammation pain. In rare cases, bacteria, viruses, or fungi in a tooth abscess can spread to the brain and create life-threatening complications.
For this reason, we often recommend erring on the side of caution when it comes to sinus infections and tooth pain if you think the tooth pain youre experiencing goes beyond what youd expect during a sinus infection, consult your dentist.
Can A Sinus Infection Be Caused By A Tooth
Sinus infections arent fun for anybody. They bring a host of unpleasant symptoms, and are one of the most common infections a person can get. Sometimes we can deal with it on our own, if its more serious, we need antibiotic intervention. Sinuses are finicky, and they can flare up due to allergies, weather changes, and toothaches?
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Sinus Toothache Symptoms And Causes
If you have both a sinus infection and tooth pain, the first thing you need to know is this: A sinus toothache is caused by the same inflammation of your sinuses that causes sinus headaches, the combination of sinusitis and tinnitus, and sinusitis and hearing loss.
Sinus infections can cause swelling and inflammation within the sinus cavities located along your jawline. When this occurs, your back upper teeth may begin to hurt due to the inflammation and increased pressure.
How Often Do Teeth Cause Sinus Infections
Hupps Contemporary Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery textbook states, Periapical or periodontal infections of maxillary posterior teeth may erode superiorly through the floor of the maxillary sinus. Approximately 20% of cases of maxillary sinusitis are odontogenic.
Basically, thats a fancy way of saying that tooth and gum abscesses of the upper back teeth can eat through the bone and invade the maxillary sinus. It further says that about 20% of all maxillary sinus infections are caused by tooth infections, rather than another cause.
Below, youll find a couple of examples of how tooth infections or abscesses can cause sinus infections.
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Can Toothache Cause Sinus Pain
sinuscan causetoothachesinusespainsinustoothache
. Moreover, can tooth infection spread to sinus?
Lewis, a root canal specialist, chronic sinus infections are sometimes caused by an underlying tooth infection. In short, sometimes the roots of one’s teeth become infected, and that infection can spread to their sinuses. Dr. Lewis referred to is called Maxillary Sinusitis of Endodontic Origin .
Similarly, what does a sinus toothache feel like? A toothache that’s accompanied by sinus problems usually includes some or all of the following symptoms: Pressure or tenderness around the eyes or forehead. Bad-tasting nasal drip. Thick, discolored mucus.
Similarly one may ask, how long does a sinus toothache last?
Once you treat your sinus infection, your tooth pain should go away. Usually, symptoms will improve or clear within a week or two.
How can you tell the difference between a toothache and a sinus infection?
Pain Type: Typically, tooth pain that is caused by an infection or an abscessed tooth will reveal itself in a constant, progressive sensation of discomfort. Sinus infection pain is a less intense and less localized feeling that is usually described as more of an ‘aching’ feeling than a sharp or severe pain.
Are Your Sinuses Connected To Your Teeth
Your maxillary sinuses are connected to the upper roots of your teeth via the alveolar process. When the tooth roots are infected, there’s a huge chance that the infection will extend into the nearest sinuses via the alveolar process. Infection of the tooth roots is often caused by poor oral hygiene.
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Can An Infected Tooth Affect Your Hearing
How Oral Health Can Affect Your Hearing. Most of us have had a dentist scold us during a teeth cleaning for forgetting to floss, and they have a point. Besides increasing the risk for infections, gum disease, tooth decay, and more, poor oral health also can contribute to the development of a hearing loss.
How To Tell If Your Tooth Extraction Is Causing Your Sinus Problem
Philip Scolaro, MD
Recovering from a tooth extraction is quite a process. You have to carefully navigate what to eat, how to drink, and how much activity you should do as you allow your body to heal. But you also may need to pay attention to how your sinuses are reacting, especially if you had upper molars removed.
A sinus infection after tooth extraction occurs most commonly when the maxillary molars are removed. These upper teeth in the back project into the sinus cavity. When you need any of these teeth extracted, or if you have an infection or cavity in a maxillary molar, you may notice your sinuses react.
Infections can spread from the mouth to the sinuses for several reasons. For some, a cavity may extend into the center of the tooth which holds the tissue that connects it to the root. This decay then spreads into the sinuses and causes an infection. Other people may develop an abscess at the base of the tooth. When its in the right location, the bacterial infection can spread to the sinuses.
A sinus infection after tooth extraction can also occur because a connection between the mouth and sinus cavity was opened.
If youre dealing with a sinus issue after dealing with a dental issue, the two problems may be connected. Heres how to tell:
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Feeling Sinus Pain It Could Be Your Wisdom Teeth
If youre having some issues with your sinuses but allergy medicine just isnt helping, weve got one possibility you may have overlooked. It could be your wisdom teeth. But how can wisdom teeth cause sinus pain?
To answer that question, youll need to know a little bit more about where exactly your sinuses run and how theyre connected to your teeth.
Question: Can Bad Teeth Affect Your Ears
If bacteria accesses the dental pulp , it can cause a painful infection of the tooth.
When its one of the molars that has been infected, again, the pain can radiate to the ear area.
Patients may also notice ear pain as a sign of an unsuccessful root canal procedure.
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Tooth Infections And How They Spread
A tooth infection begins when acid from food and drink and from acid-producing bacteria eats a hole in the outer layer of a tooth. If left untreated, the harmful bacteria in the cavity can work their way deeper until they penetrate into the pulp chamber at the core of the tooth, which is connected to the root canals. The bacteria then infects the dental pulp and spreads down the roots, which is usually when biting down becomes painful.
Did You Know Sinusitis Is Of Dental Origin
January 25, 2017
Many people have experienced sinusitis at some point in their life and are familiar with the headaches, inflamed and tender skin and even fever associated with the infection. However, most are not aware that sinusitis, specifically maxillary sinusitis can be caused by a trip to the dentist.
About SinusitisSinusitis is a common disease affecting more than 35 million people the US each year. Even though it is incredibly common, sinus infections are still among the most frequently misdiagnosed diseases in clinical practice.
Sinusitis is inflammation of the paranasal air sinuses caused by infection. Maxillary sinusitis is therefore an inflammation of the maxillary sinus.
The maxillary sinus is the largest of your sinuses. Once your maxillary sinus is inflamed, it is possible for the infection to then spread to the orbit or to the ethmoid sinus.
The maxillary sinus is incredibly close to the maxillary teeth. In fact, it can often be seen on a dental x-ray situated above the molar and pre-molar teeth in the upper jaw. Because of this, it allows for easy spread of infection.
An odontogenic infection is an infection that originates within a tooth. The term is derived from odonto- and genic .
Odontogenic sinusitis has been a well-recognized condition for over 100 years. If a dental infection or dental/oral surgery ruptures the schneiderian membrane, it can often lead to sinusitis.
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Can Tooth Decay Affect Your Ears
Tooth decay and gum disease are caused by pathogenic bacteria, which can enter the bloodstream and threaten a persons overall health. Harmful bacteria that originate in your mouth can also inflame and narrow the arteries and blood vessels located in your ears and brain, which are crucial to your hearing health.
Chronic Sinus Issues Could Be Down To A Tooth Infection
If you have been suffering from chronic sinus infections, you will no doubt be wanting to find answers and solutions. But did you know that an infected tooth could cause frequent reoccurring sinus issues?Maxillary sinusitis of odontogenic origin is when an infection in the root of your tooth spreads to your sinuses. Your upper back teeth have roots that can extend towards the cheekbones, reaching the maxillary sinus. If one tooth has an infection, you are at risk of it spreading through the root of the tooth and into the sinus.
SymptomsSymptoms of sinus infections caused by dental-related sinusitis include sinus congestion, sinus pressure, allergy-like nasal issues, facial swelling, pressure pain, headaches and even nausea. Your doctor may prescribe a course of antibiotics. This will be a temporary solution, as the issue with the offending tooth will remain untreated. The sinus infection will keep returning until the underlying tooth infection is rectified.As with many sinusitis sufferers who do not routinely experience tooth-related pain, it can be hard to identify that the sinus problems are a side effect of a tooth infection. This means that many sufferers will have reoccurring sinus infection for months or even years before the real cause of the problem is recognised and correctly diagnosed. Seeking advice from a dentist is the best course of action.
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