Sometimes it’s hard to tell whether the pain you’re experiencing is a toothache or sinus pressure. This is especially true during cold and flu season, and during those times of year when allergies are most common. In fact, your sinuses and your teeth are connected, so sinus issues can be related to tooth pain and vice-versa. There are, however, some ways to distinguish between the two.

Sinus Pressure

Depending on the time of year, sinus pressure can be an all-too-common problem for many people. Sinus pressure is typically caused by allergies, a head cold, or a sinus infection. If you experience sinus pressure that goes away on its own within a few days, chances are it’s due to either allergies or a cold. A sinus infection, on the other hand, can last for several weeks and may need to be treated by your doctor. No matter what is causing sinus pressure, the symptoms are usually the same. Those include:

• A headache, particularly around the nose, forehead and eyes, and sometimes spreading into the teeth or jaws
• A sore throat caused from post-nasal drip
• Coughing
• Sinus discharge that is yellow-green in color

Toothaches

If you experience tooth pain without any of the symptoms associated with sinus pressure, it’s probably caused by some kind of oral issue. Any type of persistent toothache should be checked by your dentist. A dental X-ray can determine quickly if your toothache is due to a cavity or some other oral problem. Some toothaches can be severe and even spread into the jaw. A severe toothache could be an indication of tooth decay that has developed into an infection. And pain in the jaw may be related to the TMJ (temporomandibular joint). TMJ issues can also be treated by your dentist, so it’s best to see your dentist right away with any type of oral pain.

It’s also important to remember the connection between your sinuses and your teeth. If you have an infection in either your teeth or your sinuses, that can result in an infection in the other. A sinus infection, for example, can affect your oral health. And when tooth decay is left untreated, it can have a negative impact on your sinuses and your overall health. When in doubt, remember that any type of chronic pain should be discussed with your dentist or doctor, just to be on the safe side.

Most dentists would agree that one of the most important things you can do to maintain good oral health is to visit your dentist on a regular basis for professional dental cleanings. While brushing and flossing at home plays a vital role in good oral health, you’ll never be able to clean your own teeth as thoroughly as your dentist or a trained dental hygienist. When built-up tartar and plaque isn’t removed on a regular basis, it can lead to cavities and even gum disease. To help you prepare for your professional dental cleaning, we’ve put together a list of what you can expect during your visit.

• X-rays: Although not required for every patient during every professional cleaning, your hygienist or dentist will take X-rays of your teeth and gums when necessary. Your dentist will review these X-rays to determine if any further dental work is required.
• Visual examination: Your dentist will also perform a visual exam of your teeth and gums, checking for signs of tooth decay and gum disease. The condition of your existing dental work (fillings, crowns, etc.) will also be checked during the visual exam.
• Oral cancer screening: Your dentist may perform an oral cancer screening during your visit. There are a variety of different cutting-edge tools that can be utilized for oral cancer screenings, and although it’s not usually required during every professional cleaning visit, your dentist will perform this screening whenever it’s necessary.
• Measurement of gum pockets: When needed, your hygienist or dentist may measure the depth of gum pockets that form around your teeth. The depth of these pockets can be a good indication of whether or not gum disease is present or is in the early stage of development.
• Cleaning and polishing: Using professional cleaning tools, your hygienist or dentist will thoroughly clean and polish your teeth. It is during this phase of your visit that built-up plaque and tartar – the material that you won’t be able to remove by regular brushing and flossing – is removed.

Dentists typically ask patients to come in twice a year for professional cleanings and oral exams. The visits are usually quite routine and most of the time are completed within an hour or so. Although the visits may be routine, they can mean the difference between good oral health and cavities and/or gum disease. So don’t put off your professional cleaning visit! Schedule yours today to ensure that you continue to enjoy healthy teeth and gums.

You know that your dentist is an expert at looking at teeth and telling whether or not you’ve been brushing, flossing, and rinsing with mouthwash regularly. What you might not realize is that your dentist can also tell a lot about your overall health just by inspecting your teeth.

In some cases, this could give you the impetus to seek out early testing that you might otherwise have neglected, catching conditions and treating them in a timely manner. While your dentist may not be able to diagnose certain ailments simply from looking at your teeth, the state of your mouth can certainly offer clues, so it’s always a good idea to listen to your dentist’s advice. What could this professional tell about your health just by looking at your teeth?

If You’re Eating Right

Proper nutrition is important for your entire body, and when you’re malnourished, it shows in a variety of ways, including in your mouth. When people stop eating or start purging, as with conditions like anorexia or bulimia, dentists can see the signs, including dry mouth, gums that are tender, swollen, and/or bleeding, and other symptoms. Stomach acids can also affect the inner side of teeth, damaging enamel. Dentists may spot such issues before a physician because of these signs and symptoms.

If You’re Suffering from Certain Ailments

You might be surprised to learn that your dentist could spots the signs of conditions like anemia, osteoporosis, diabetes, HIV, and even dementia from the condition of your teeth and gums. Anemia often results in pale gums, while osteoporosis could present symptoms like weakening jaw bone that results in receding gums or loose teeth.

Diabetes causes myriad problems, possibly including bleeding gums, gingivitis, and trouble healing, while HIV could include symptoms like bleeding gums, mouth sores, and infections. As for signs of dementia, the onset of forgetfulness could mean neglecting regular dental care, resulting in worsening oral health.

If Your Oral Health is Putting Your Overall Health at Risk

Oral health is linked to overall health, although the causation (or which is responsible for the other) is not always certain. If, however, you’re suffering from a serious oral health concern like periodontitis or abscessed teeth, there’s a high risk of the condition affecting your overall health.

An abscess that enters the bloodstream, for example, could travel throughout the body, leading to pockets of infection in different areas, including the heart or the brain. This, in turn, could be dangerous or even fatal. In other words, it’s always a good idea to maintain oral health in order to protect your overall health.

Those of us who brush and floss our teeth on a daily basis and make regular bi-annual dental appointments are likely always looking for ways to keep our smiles clean and healthy. However, while those steps are certainly effective, that is only one part of the story. As you may have guessed, the other half is diet. Most of us are aware that food and beverages with high sugar content can easily lead to tooth decay, but did you know that there are a variety of other foods that can be just as bad? Even worse, you could already be eating some of these foods without having any idea what the consequences may be. To help ensure that this does not happen to you, here is a brief list with insight on how your diet could be ruining your smile.

Coffee

Make no mistake, there are benefits to drinking coffee. For one, as most of us know, coffee is a great way to escape from the morning grog that plagues us when we wake up. It is also high in antioxidants and can reduce the risk of contracting caner, Type 2 diabetes, and even Parkinson’s. However, regularly consuming coffee can have detrimental effects on your teeth. This is especially true of black coffee, which runs contrary to what some people profess. Fortunately, these effects can be mitigated by diluting the coffee with ice or milk, and using a straw to drink it.

Curry

Who would have thought, right? Curry is fundamentally delicious, reduces inflammation, helps with digestion, and can guard against degenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s and specific forms of cancer. Despite all this, curry can severely stain the teeth. Fortunately, these effects can be minimized by eating curry as little as possible and cleaning your teeth within half an hour of indulging.

Lemons

What’s not to love about lemons? They have relatively little calories, are high in both fiber and vitamin C and taste delicious! However, lemons are also highly acidic, meaning they can erode tooth enamel like nobody’s business. For this reason, it is important to minimize contact between your teeth and anything containing concentrated amounts of lemons. However, like coffee, the effects of lemons can be reduced via dilution. More often than not, diluting with water works the best: simply grab a glass full of water, squeeze a little lemon on it and enjoy!