If you’re wondering whether facial pain could actually mean that something’s wrong with your oral health, you’re on to something! Your facial anatomy is closely connected, which is why your teeth might hurt when you have a sinus infection. If that were the only possibility, though, that would be case closed on this topic.
Depending on the nature of your facial discomfort, a couple of different things could be going on. Keep reading to find out if you need to visit your emergency dentist.
Tooth-Specific Discomfort
While a throbbing, aching sensation could very well be a sinus infection or dental sensitivity, oddly specific toothaches could be a different problem entirely. For example:
- Tooth decay can lead to cavities, which are holes that harmful bacteria carve out of your enamel. As this outter layer of your tooth thins, the more sensitive layers become exposed, causing discomfort.
- A dental abscess – in other words, infection – will look like a small pimple, typically located near your tooth’s root or gumline. It can form if cavities go untreated, and often causes swelling or fever.
- Dental damage like chips, cracks, breaks, or tooth loss can be painful if nerves are exposed or you’ve sustained a facial injury.
- Gum disease mostly affects your gums and irritates them into swelling and bleeding. However, gums help keep your teeth from falling out by surrounding the roots, so you might feel a toothache as well.
In all of these cases it’s best to call an emergency dentist for prompt treatment. Note that dental sensitivity is fairly common, but could also be an emergency if it persists for several days or becomes severe.
Jaw-Related Pain
Tooth decay and infection can aggravate your jaw – or you could have a TMJ disorder. This joint connects your upper and lower jawbone, so if it’s not positioned quite right or experiences excessive pressure from habits like teeth grinding, it can transfer stress along your jaw.
Dentists can actually treat this issue with adjustment therapy or a mouthguard-like device. In both cases, the goal is to change how physical stress is balanced in your mouth, thus alleviating aches.
Pin-Point Neck or Head Aches
If you experience frequent neck pains or headaches, this could also be due to a TMJ disorder! Pressure can radiate outwards from your TMJ as well, affecting the muscles in your neck and forehead. This stress flow can be particularly troublesome, because your neck contains clusters of spinal nerves, connecting it to the largest nerve-hub in your body: your back.
While this might have helped you narrow down the possibilities, it’s best to have a dentist investigate the source of your facial pain. They’ll point you in the right direction for effective treatment!
About the Dentist
Dr. Justin Geller earned his dental degree from the University of Detroit and has been helping patients with their oral health for over 30 years. If you’re experiencing mysterious facial pain, he’ll use his experience and advanced training to get to the source of the problem. Once an effective solution is identified, he’ll walk you through the process and ensure your treatment goes as smoothly as possible. To contact Dr. Geller’s office, call 248-926-4030.