How do allergies affect your teeth? Do you know? During allergy season, it is common to find patients complaining of toothaches that are not related to disease or decay of the aching tooth/teeth. The maxillary sinus cavities are the ones most likely to be affected by congestion and pressure during allergy season. These sinuses are located right at the root of your molars and premolars. If pressure and congestion builds up in the sinuses, it can put pressure on the roots of these teeth and can cause tooth pain.

Sinus Pain or Decay Pain?

We often hear from patients that they have difficulty discerning between tooth pain related to decay and tooth pain related to allergy-related issues.  If you find yourself confused when seasonal allergies hit, you are not alone. Of course, when in doubt, make an appointment with Dr. Bockrath at Mountain Aire Dentistry for an evaluation, but there are some ways you can help determine the source of your tooth pain on your own.

Sinus pain, a common symptom during allergy season when pollen and dust are attacking your system from all sides, occurs when your sinuses are adversely affected from allergens you are exposed to in your environment. Your sinuses are the spaces in your skull and facial bones that comprise the upper part of your upper respiratory tract from your nose to your throat. Your frontal sinuses are located in your forehead, your ethmoid and sphenoid sinuses are located behind your nose, and your maxillary sinuses are located inside your cheekbones.  These hollow sinus cavities fill up with mucus when you are fighting allergens and cause pains and aches in your face and in your mouth. Congested maxillary sinuses put pressure on the roots of your upper molars. This pressure can cause tooth pain and tooth sensitivity to hot and cold.

To help you diagnose your tooth symptoms, try antihistamines to see if they provide you any relief from your symptoms.  If you find that the tooth pain is resolved after taking antihistamines, the tooth pain is probably being triggered by allergies. On the other hand, if your pain and symptoms continue even after you have been using antihistamines, or if you are having pain in teeth other than your upper molars, call and make an appointment with a member of our Mountain Aire Dentistry team.  

Common Allergy Symptoms that Affect Your Oral Health

Tooth pain is one symptom often related with seasonal allergies, but it isn’t the only one for you to watch out for.  Dry mouth and sore throats are two other common symptoms of allergies that can affect your oral health.

Dry mouth is common with seasonal allergies because those antihistamines we talked about earlier also cause dry mouth. A stuffy nose will also cause you to mouth breathe more than you do usually also drying out your mouth. Having a dry mouth means that you have less saliva production and what most do not know is that saliva is key in fighting against decay in your mouth. The American Dental Association refers to saliva as the ‘bloodstream of the mouth’. Like blood, saliva facilitates the health and repair of soft and hard tissues. When saliva production wanes, it opens a window for decay and other oral infections to come in. Other key roles that saliva plays in your mouth in fighting off decay are:

• Cleans food and debris from teeth and gums
• Moistens and dissolves food to aid swallowing and taste
• Employs disease-fighting substances throughout your mouth to fight cavities and other infections
• Distributes high levels of calcium, fluoride and phosphate ions to the tooth surface, keeping the surface of your teeth strong.

Another common allergy symptom are sore throats. Sore throats are not only uncomfortable, they also jeopardize your oral health by causing halitosis (bad breath) also associated with decreased saliva production and the infection itself. Often, this bad breath is not eliminated by brushing your teeth. A member of our Mountain Aire Dentistry team can help you treat your sore throat symptoms to lessen the aftereffects.

What Can You Do to Keep Your  Mouth Healthy in Allergy Season

Daily Preventive Care

The key to keeping your mouth healthy during allergy season is diagnostic and preventative care. This is the time to ramp up your oral hygiene standards and commit to regular, and frequent dental care.  Daily preventive care, including proper brushing and flossing, will help stop problems before they develop. In between regular visits to the dentist, there are simple steps that each of us can take to greatly decrease the risk of developing tooth decay, gum disease and other dental problems.

Schedule a Cleaning

A dental cleaning is a professional cleaning you receive from a dentist or dental hygienist. Most dental cleanings take only between 25 and 30 minutes. Cleanings help prevent excessive plaque buildup depending on your history of, and susceptibility to disease. Plaque left untreated can lead to unhealthy gums and tooth decay and will become more present with decreased saliva flow caused from your allergies.

Treat Your Allergies

If you know that you suffer from yearly allergies, take a proactive role in your physical health. Avoid any known triggers that you have, talk to a doctor about long-term treatment options or immunotherapy and allergy shots. When you have a handle on your allergies you lessen the impact they will have on your mouth and your oral health.

Drink Your Water

One of the easiest ways that you can help keep your body/mouth healthy during allergy season is to increase the amount of water you are drinking.The more hydrated your mouth and body are the better able you are at flushing out unwanted toxins, mucus and debris from your system.  Water will also help fill the function of the decreased saliva production in your mouth helping you fight against dry mouth symptoms. However, don’t overdo it. Understand how much water is healthy for you.  Experts say the amount of water you need depends on your size and weight, and also on your activity level and where you live.  You should try to drink between half an ounce and an ounce of water for each pound you weigh, every day.

Call for an Appointment

Dr. Bockrath is highly skilled and trained to provide a variety of dental services. Our office is equipped with state-of-the-art technology to ensure you receive the best possible care.  Our office is located in Broomfield, Colorado, with convenient access to the communities of Thornton, Broomfield, Northglenn and Westminster.  Mountain Aire Dentistry offers state-of-the-art family dentistry and cosmetic dentistry. Call for your appointment today at  (303) 731-7755. We look forward to meeting you and your family!