Calgary’s changing seasons often bring sharp, cold winds and snowy weather, and with the chilly weather comes cold and flu season. If you’ve ever been curled up on the couch, dealing with a cold or flu, only to be hit with a painful ache in your teeth, you’re not alone. This phenomenon is surprisingly common, leading many to ask, “Why do my teeth hurt when I have a cold?”
While it might feel like a dental emergency, the source of your discomfort is often closer to your nose than your tooth enamel. We’re here to break down the two main reasons seasonal illness can cause surprising pain in your teeth.
The Sinus Connection: Understanding Referred Pain
The number one culprit behind cold-related tooth pain is your maxillary sinuses. These are the largest number of the sinus cavities, located just above your upper jaw, with their floor often resting right against the roots of your back upper teeth—your molars and premolars.
When you have a cold, flu, or a full-blown sinus infection, the mucous membranes lining these cavities become inflamed and congested. This build-up of fluid and pressure can push down onto the sensitive nerve endings in the roots of your teeth, causing pain that you feel in your mouth. This is known as referred pain.
How to tell if your sinuses are to blame:
- Pain is dull and it affects multiple teeth in your upper jaw
- The ache intensifies when you bend over or jump up and down
- The discomfort coincides with a stuffy nose or facial pressure
Generally, this pain subsides as your cold or sinus infection clears up. However, if pain persists after other symptoms are gone, it’s important to call your dentist to rule out any underlying issues.
The Dry Mouth Dilemma
When your nasal passages are blocked, you naturally start breathing through your mouth. While necessary, this constant mouth-breathing leads to a condition called xerostomia, or dry mouth.
Saliva is your mouth’s protective shield—it constantly washes away food debris and neutralizes harmful acids that cause decay and sensitivity. When your mouth dries out, this protective process stops. The increased exposure to air and reduced saliva flow can make your teeth more sensitive to cold air, trigger pain, and even increase your risk of developing cavities. Certain cold medications, like decongestants, can also contribute to dry mouth, compounding the problem.
Simple Tips for Protecting Your Smile When You’re Sick
Even when you feel miserable, maintaining good oral hygiene is important. Here are a few simple tips from our family dentistry team:
- Stay Hydrated: Sip water constantly to keep your mouth moist and thin out mucous. This is the best way to combat dry mouth.
- Choose Sugar-Free Medications: If you’re using cough syrups, cough drops, or lozenges, always opt for sugar-free versions. Lying in bed sucking on sugary medication is like bathing your teeth in cavity-causing acid.
- Rinse After Vomiting: If your illness involves an upset stomach, don’t brush your teeth immediately after being sick. Vomiting coats your teeth in strong stomach acids. Brushing immediately will scrub the acid into your enamel. Instead, rinse your mouth thoroughly with water or a mouthwash, wait 30 minutes, and then brush gently.
- Replace Your Toothbrush: Once you’re fully recovered, throw away your toothbrush and replace it with a new one to prevent re-infecting yourself with lingering germs.
When to See A Dentist
While a common cold is usually the culprit for temporary tooth pain, a sharp, localized, or severe toothache that keeps you up at night is rarely a sinus issue.
If your pain is localized to one specific tooth, or if the pain lasts more than a day or two after your cold symptoms clear up, you may have a pre-existing dental issue that your cold simply exacerbated, such as a cracked tooth, a deep cavity, or an abscess. In some cases, this could constitute a dental emergency.
If you’re experiencing severe or unmanageable pain, don’t wait. Brentwood Village Dental is here to help with all your dental concerns, offering both comprehensive family dentistry and reliable emergency dentistry services right here in Calgary.
If you have questions about your pain or need to schedule an appointment, contact us today.
