Every year, over 30 million people in the United States are diagnosed with a sinus infection. The majority of these individuals get a diagnosis of this infection around early spring and early fall. The majority of cases of this air cavity infection are brought on by allergic reactions or chemical irritation of the sinuses.
Sinus Cavity Pain
Tooth discomfort is often seen in conjunction with a sinus infection. Even while this infection is the source of tooth discomfort, it is not the only thing that may cause toothaches or jaw popping. You need to educate yourself on sinus tooth pain in order to evaluate whether or not the discomfort in your teeth is caused by a dental issue or a sinus infection.
In this article, we will explain what is the connection between sinus and jaw pain and how a sinus infection might produce discomfort in your teeth and jaw.
The Anatomy of Sinus Cavity
If you want to learn about how a sinus infection may cause tooth pain, the anatomy of the sinus cavity is the first thing you need to know about. The maxillary, ethmoid, sphenoid, and frontal sinuses are the structures that make up this cavity. Near the forehead, somewhat above the eyes, is where you'll find the location of your frontal sinuses. The sphenoid sinuses may be found behind the eyes. On each side of the nose are a pair of sinuses known as the maxillary and ethmoid sinuses. The air in the nasal cavity is filtered, warmed, and moistened by these sinuses. In addition to this, they produce mucus, which helps keep the nose clean.
In the event that these sinuses get blocked, you will almost certainly have a sinus infection. Because of this infection, congestion and pressure are going to develop in your sinus cavity. While having a sinus infection, the roots of your upper back teeth are located close to your sinus cavity and therefore you may have discomfort in these teeth and the jaw.
Is Sinus Pain and Tooth Pain Different?
You can be one of the many people who, when confronted with tooth pain and sinus discomfort, fail to differentiate between the two. The symptoms of both of these conditions are quite similar, with the exception that sinus tooth pain causes discomfort in the upper molars of the patient's mouth. The discomfort will be widespread over several teeth, and it may become worse or better depending on the movements you make. For example, the sensation will be amplified when you get up quickly or bend down, but it will lessen when you lie or sit down.
On the other hand, tooth pain that is brought on by a dental condition will be localized to a single tooth in your mouth. This discomfort will not get worse while doing certain movements. When you have a toothache because of a dental condition, as opposed to having a sinus infection, you most likely will also have dental swelling.
Can Tooth Pain be caused by a Sinus Infection?
A study that was published in the British Dental Journal found that tooth discomfort might be brought on by an infection in either of the sinuses. This is because the nerves that control the gums, teeth, and sinuses are all similar to one another. These nerves are responsible for sending pain signals to the brain.
When a person has a sinus infection, the inflammation in their sinuses caused by the infection will push on the nerves in that area. After that, these nerves will transmit messages of pain to your brain. As a direct consequence of this, you will have discomfort in your jaws, gums, teeth, and sinuses.
Can Sinus Infection Cause Jaw Pain?
Are sinus and jaw pain related? When you have an infection in your sinuses, you may have discomfort in the region around your jaw. Because of the infection, there is likely to be pressure placed on your sinus cavity which might trigger jaw pain. It's also possible that the infection has spread to other parts of your sinus cavity, which would result in jaw pain.
Can a Sinus Cause Pain in the Front Teeth?
Because the maxillary sinuses are situated close to the roots of the upper back teeth and not the front teeth, it is less probable that you may have discomfort in your front teeth if you have a sinus infection. If your sinuses become inflamed for whatever reason, the pain that you feel in your upper back teeth is probably going to be limited to that area.
Can a Sinus Cause Pain in the Lower Teeth?
When you have an infection in your sinuses, you may experience discomfort in your upper teeth. This is a common symptom. It's possible that the discomfort may migrate to your lower teeth at times. This pain transfer is often linked to the moderations of the neural networks that occur along the pain pathways.
The Bottom Line
Visit your primary care physician if you are unclear if a dental disease or a sinus infection is the source of your toothache or jaw pain. In order to discover the source of the discomfort, they will question you on the symptoms. If the doctor determines that the discomfort is caused by a sinus infection, he or she will recommend that you take painkillers that are available without a prescription. Your sinuses will feel less pressure as a result of these treatments, and any mucus that is there will be eliminated.
If you use medications for an extended period of time and observe that your symptoms do not improve, there is most likely an underlying problem that is causing the discomfort. If this is the case, you will need to schedule an appointment with a dentist so that the problem may be properly diagnosed. Your oral cavity and mouth will be examined using X-rays by the dentist so that he or she can identify whether the discomfort is being caused by tooth decay or by abscesses.