Know The Difference Between Sinusitis And A Sinus Communication
Root canals cant cause sinus infections, but they can cause similar symptoms if your sinus lining is punctured during treatment. If you need more information about root canals or you suspect that you may have a sinus communication and need help with treatment, dont wait. Contact McCue Dental Health now at 456-1091, or stop by our office at 10625 West North Avenue, Suite 300, Wauwatosa, WI 53226 to schedule your appointment.
Whats The Difference Between A Regular Toothache And A Sinus Toothache
All pain is not created equal. Typically, a toothache thats not caused by sinus problems will only involve one tooth. Conversely, if youre experiencing a sinus toothache, youll probably feel discomfort in several teeth, particularly the top molars . A toothache thats 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
- Inability to smell and taste
These symptoms all intertwine because the position of the nasal cavities causes discomfort across a persons entire face, head, and neck region, whereas a single toothache may be caused by decay, damage, or sensitivity in one tooth.
The Roots Of Your Teeth Are Very Close To Your Sinus Lining
The roots of your teeth extend very deeply into your gums, and support and strengthen your teeth. Typically, less than half of your tooth is actually visible above the gums! This means that your upper teeth extend very far into the gum and oral tissue.
In fact, the alveolar bone or âalveolar processâ that holds the roots of the upper teeth in place extends very close to the âmaxillary sinuses,â which are the sinuses that are located by the nose, and are the closest to your teeth.
This means that your sinuses and your teeth are linked, and issues that affect one could affect the other, too. Letâs take a deeper look at this now. â
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What Helps Tooth Pain Caused By Sinus Infection
The key to completely resolving tooth pain from sinus infection is to clear up the sinus infection. Once the inflammation of your maxillary sinuses goes down, the pressure on the nerves to the maxillary teeth should subside as well, ending the sinus-related toothache. In the meantime, pain relief measures used to manage the pressure from your sinus infection may also help with the discomfort, including the use of:
- Over-the-counter pain relief medications,
- Nasal sprays, and
- Over-the-counter decongestants.
If your sinus infection is actually caused by a dental issue, only resolving the dental issue will resolve your sinus pain and toothache long-term.
Heres What To Do If You Have A Toothache
Not sure where you should turn for help? Start with your dentist, Dr. Chang said. Although its possible that your tooth is healthy, its more likely that a dental problem, not a sinus problem, is the cause of your pain. In some cases, it could be both!
With a dental exam and dental x-rays, your dentist can figure out if your problem stems from your tooth. If its a tooth-related problem your dentist can recommend a treatment plan:
- For tooth decay, you may need a filling, crown, root canal, or replacement tooth.
- For gum disease, you may need oral hygiene improvements, special dental cleanings, or medication.
And if your dentist doesnt spot a problem, you can follow up with your primary care provider or ear, nose, and throat specialist.
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Contact West U Family Dental Today
If you have tooth pain that you suspect might be sinus related, give us a call at WestU Family Dental. We will be happy to painlessly perform a dental exam and digital x-rays to determine the cause of your pain. Dont suffer through that pain any longer find out the cause so you can get the treatment you need. And remember, if you are nervous about visiting the dentist we offer various levels of sedation to keep your anxiety at a minimum while you see to the health of your teeth.
Is It A Toothache Or A Sinus Infection
If you’re like the 28 million adults who suffer from sinus infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you know how painful they can be. The addition of sinus infection tooth pain caused by pressure in your nasal cavity can be all the more distressing if you’re unaware of this side effect.
It’s important to determine whether a sinus infection is the cause of your toothache, though. Reach out to your doctor if you have a cold turned sinus infection, or contact your dentist if the pain originated in your teeth.
The American Rhinologic Society defines sinusitis as the inflammation of your nasal passage lining, and a cold that persists longer than two weeks can develop into an acute sinus infection. This begins in your maxillary sinuses, located just above your molar teeth roots, and can swell with the buildup of bacterial or viral mucus. The pressure it puts on dental nerve endings can cause a painful sensation on one or more of your teeth.
If you have a sinus infection, the best way to get rid of your tooth pain is to target the backlog of mucus. Try these five tips for relieving sinus infection tooth pain:
Add a steamy shower or a peppermint steam solution to your daily care, as well. Peppermint and steam both help cut decongestion and pain .
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A Case Of Sinusitis Caused By A Tooth
This person had chronic sinusitis for the last few years, that started shortly after she had a metal post put into one of her upper back teeth. Upon looking at her x-rays I noticed that the metal post that was put in one of her upper teeth looked like it had pierced through edge of the tooth and gone slightly into the bone. This caused an abscess that was leaking into her sinus.
Heres the x-ray of her upper right teeth:
To make the x-ray below easier to see, the tooth is green, the infection is red, and the sinuses are blue:
Sadly, due to the fracture in the tooth caused by the large metal post, the tooth had to be extracted.
The oral surgeon who extracted the tooth told me that the tip of the tooth broke off just above the metal post, causing the root fragment to get pushed into the sinuses during extraction. He had to open up the sinus to retrieve the root and he was able to suction out a lot of the infection he said it was a pretty bad infection.
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The Connection Between Sinus Infections And Toothaches
The simple answer is yes, a sinus infection can make your teeth hurt. To understand why, its a good idea to learn about the anatomy of the face. Your sinuses are essentially large cavities in the back of your head that are connected to your nose and jaw. When you dont have a sinus infection, these cavities help keep your nose and inner ear clean and functional. You dont notice your sinuses when theyre doing their job correctly.
Unfortunately, when something goes wrong in your sinuses, its impossible to ignore. A sinus infection can lead to inflamed, sensitive sinuses that react with pain to everyday activities. Since the upper jaw and the sinuses are basically side-by-side, pain in the sinuses can radiate outwards into the upper jaw, particularly in the back teeth. Toothaches and sinus infections are a common pairing for many.
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Signs A Sinus Infection Might Be Causing Your Toothache
People with sinus disease can commonly have tooth pain, said Eugene Chang, MD, an otolaryngologist at BannerUniversity Medical Center Tucson Campus.
Look for these telltale signs that a sinus problem may be driving your pain:
- You have other sinus symptoms besides a toothache.Isolated tooth pain by itself without other sinus symptoms is usually not related to sinus disease, Dr. Chang said. Sinus symptoms could be a runny or stuffy nose, facial pressure, colored nasal discharge, headache, post-nasal drip, cough, sore throat, or a change in your sense of smell.
- Your toothache is in the back of your upper teeth. Your cheek sinuses, also called maxillary sinuses, contact the roots of your upper molars. So, youre more likely to notice a sinus-related toothache there. Toothaches in your bottom teeth or front teeth are less likely to be sinus related.
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How Do You Relieve Sinus Pressure In Your Teeth
Some individuals will find relief from a sinus infection and tooth pain through home treatments. Common strategies include: using a humidifier and/or neti pot, eating spicy foods, staying hydrated, and careful, limited use of over-the-counter medicine.
But patients who struggle with severe sinus infections, sinus infections that wont go away, and chronic sinus infections may need to take a proactive approach.
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Is My Toothache Sinus Related
Yes, a sinus infection can cause a toothache. In fact, pain in the upper back teeth is a fairly common symptom with sinus conditions. The sinuses are pairs of empty spaces in your skull connected to the nasal cavity. If you have sinusitis, the tissues in those spaces become inflamed, often causing pain.
Is It Sinus Pressure Or A Toothache
Did you know that sinus pressure can cause symptoms that closely mimic a regular toothache? Sinus congestion and infections can cause your upper teeth to hurt as if you had a cavity or even an abscess. In this blog post, youll learn why sinus pressure can cause a toothache, how to tell if a toothache is related to sinus pressure, and what to expect if you go to the dentist with possible sinus pressure issues.
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Treating A Sinus Toothache
If you have a toothache caused by your sinuses, you can explore ways to treat it at home and treatments from your doctor. Firstly, make sure that you stay hydrated. Getting plenty of fluids helps to thin out the mucus and reduce blockages and pressure. Warm drinks can be especially helpful. Steam can also help to open up your sinuses and allow them to drain, so you might want to steam your face or take a hot shower. Another solution is to rinse out your sinuses using a nasal spray, a Neti pot or a nasal irrigation system. Decongestant nasal sprays can be helpful, but using them too much could mean theyre not as effective and lead to congestion recurring.
When home remedies arent working, your doctor might be able to prescribe a decongestant medication, mucus-thinning medication or steroid nasal spray. Allergy medications can also be helpful if you have a sinus problem. Antibiotics can sometimes be used once other treatment options have been tried, but only if your doctor suspects a bacterial infection.
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Can A Tooth Abscess Cause A Sinus Infection
A tooth abscess may cause a sinus infection, as can almost any type of bacterial infection in your upper teeth.
In fact, theres a name for this type of sinus problem: maxillary sinusitis of endodontic origin. The maxillary sinus is located behind the cheekbones close to the roots of the upper back teeth. Therefore an infection in the upper teeth can spread to the maxillary sinus rather easily. Symptoms of this type of sinus infection include post nasal drip and sinus congestion.
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You May Have A Sinus Communication Causing Sinusitis
This is the most common cause of minor sinus problems after root canal therapy. A sinus communication is a small hole in your sinus lining, which may be opened by your dentist while they are performing a root canal.
This happens because the roots of your upper teeth are extremely close to your sinus lining, which is relatively delicate. When cleaning your tooth during a root canal, your dentist will use a special tool to remove decayed material from the roots of your teeth. Itâs possible for them to accidentally poke through the sinus lining and create a very small hole, or sinus communication.
Usually, this results in symptoms like:
- Feeling air go across the socket of your tooth when you breathe
- A runny nose or post-nasal drip
- Congestion, sinus pressure, and pain
âThese symptoms are relatively mild. If your sinus communication is small, it will heal on its own, and you will not have to seek further treatment. However, if your pain and discomfort persists or gets worse, you may have a larger hole in your sinus lining, and you may need treatment to close this opening.
Why Do Sinus Infections Cause Tooth Pain
The sinuses rest just behind the facial bones around your eyes, forehead, and cheeks. There are four of these air-filled pockets. Their role is to help warm the air that you breathe. They also help to filter out potential pathogens and debris.
Mucus is produced in your sinuses. It is meant to drain through your nose. Occasionally, something happens that stops this process. Colds and allergies are the most common reason for the sinuses to become clogged.
Filled and inflamed sinuses produce pressure in the mouth. These tend to press on the nerves that supply feeling to the top back teeth.
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How Can We Help
The team at Crown Dental in Narre Warren offers a range of general dentistry services. If you are suffering from toothache, or would simply like to come in for a check-up and clean, we encourage you to get in touch. We are available to address a range of dental concerns and are available to answer any questions that you have regarding your oral health. Our general dental treatments are designed to improve and maintain your oral health so that you can enjoy a healthy and beautiful smile for life.
Some of the general treatments that we offer include routine dental examinations oral hygiene care education professional clean and polishing and x-rays. We also offer a range of cosmetic and orthodontic treatments, as well as anti-wrinkle treatments. To see our full range of services, please have a look here.
To arrange a consultation at Crown Dental, please get in touch here or give us a call on 9989 2656.
Make an Enquiry
Get in touch with the team to ask your questions or to book in for a consultation!
When You Should See A Doctor
It is recommended to come in for treatment for tooth pain if you experience a toothache that:
- Lasts for a long amount of time
- Doesnt go away once your sinus infection has cleared up
- Causes extreme discomfort
Your dentist will be able to determine the root of the pain as well as how it can be treated.
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Can Sinus Infection Cause Tooth Pain
It is true that sinus infections can cause toothaches. It is fairly common for sinus conditions to cause pain in the upper back teeth. A sinus cavity is a pair of empty spaces in the skull connected to the nasal cavity. Sinusitis causes inflammation of tissues in these spaces that can cause pain.
Differentiating Between Regular Vs Sinus Infection Tooth Pain
Because the signs and symptoms of a regular toothache and sinus tooth pain are very similar, people often get confused between the two culprits. One difference between the two is that toothache from the sinus often causes pain in multiple teeth, which is usually experienced in the upper molars. If your teeth hurt and along with it you experience some other symptoms that are listed below, know that the reason behind your tooth pain is sinusitis. Some patients also complain of having fever and low energy levels.
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Sinus Infection And Toothache: The Connection
The sinus is 4 pairs of air-filled spaces found in the facial bones near your eyes, forehead, and behind your cheekbones.
Moreover, they warm, moisten, and filter the air into your nasal cavity and also has the ability to produce mucus which drains in the nasal cavity and cleans your nose.
However, when you have a sinus infection, the congestion and pressure that accompany it can cause discomfort or pain in your upper teeth.
This is because the roots of your upper teeth and jawbone are near the sinuses.
In some cases, this is also termed as referred pain, and the discomfort spreads to the lower teeth as well.
The symptoms of regular toothache and sinus toothache are similar.
However, you mostly feel sinus toothache in your upper teeth and upper jaw.
If you have sinus toothache along with other symptoms, then it means that you have a sinus toothache.
Moreover, you may also feel a bit low in energy or under the weather or might also have a fever.
It is important to note that pain with a sinus infection may also intensify with certain movements.
These include jumping up pr bending over. This is because the pressure in your sinus shifts as you move and you can feel it in your teeth.
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