The sinus infection can be painful. It doesn’t only cause
pain in the facial area right above the sinusitis but it can also initiate a
toothache which can cause trouble in chewing and biting. However, this pain
must not be confused with other types of toothaches which are caused by
cavities, gum disease and impacted teeth.
Reasons for sinus infection
The main reason for this infection is the entrance of
bacteria into the sinusitis. This area is right above the back teeth in the
upper jaw. This infection causes pressure in the area, resulting in the pain in
the roots of the teeth. If you want to identify whether or not you have
toothache due to sinus infection, you need to notice if you have pain in the
cheekbones and area around the eyes.
Symptoms of sinus infection
The most prominent symptoms of sinus infection include:
- Fever
- Stuffy nose and nasal discharge
- Bad breath
- Worse kind of pain when you are standing or sitting rather than lying down
- Swelling, tenderness and redness in the cheek areas
If you have these symptoms, you have to make sure that you
are absolutely not ignoring the infection as it can get worse when left
untreated. Therefore, you need to see your doctor or dentist immediately.
Impact on oral health
The impact of sinus infection on oral health is not a direct
one. But it is quite a serious one. When you have sinus infection, you start
breathing from your mouth because you simply cannot do it easily with your
nose. As a result, your mouth dries due to flow of air and resultant hampered
saliva generation. This mouth dryness can lead to increased risk of certain
oral health complications might include tooth decay, gum disease and other
infections which are neither good for oral nor overall health.
Tooth pain due to sinus infection
The tooth pain we are talking about in this regard mainly
occurs due to pressure built on the teeth which have their roots exposed in the
sinusitis. The sinusitis gets filled with the fluid which exerts pressure on
the roots of the teeth. Since this exposure of roots remains limited to the
pressure only, the teeth do not get infected by that fluid. However, the pain
can be severe enough to affect the quality of life.
Even though your dentist may not be the right person to
treat sinus infection, they can help you by referring you to the health
physician to get the sinus infection treated. Moreover, it is a good habit to
get your teeth checked if you have a toothache.
