Is it Allergies or Periodontal Problems?

Springtime brings along with it many benefits – longer days, warmer weather – but also the inevitable allergy season.

Allergies can affect persons of any age, any gender and any race with miserable symptoms, including tooth pain. Due to the proximity of the sinuses to the upper teeth, pain in the teeth and gum area may be confused with other ailments such as a cavity or periodontal disease

Knowing the Difference

If it’s tooth decay, or gum disease, the pain will most likely be localized to one or two teeth, and will be more stabbing or intense. Allergy or sinus related pain is usually more of a dull ache, and more generalized to a whole area of teeth.

If you take an antihistamine and your toothache feels better, it might be a clue that it is, in fact, sinus or allergy related. If not, you may want to visit a dentist to see if there are more serious reasons to be concerned. Toothaches may be caused by gum disease, cracked teeth, cavities or decay, or receding gums.

What to Expect

If you feel that your pain may be oral health related and you decide to visit your dentist, make sure that you explain the sensations in as much detail as possible.

During the examination, the dentist will first check for signs of decay or disease and recommend the appropriate treatment. If nothing is evident, the dentist may have a patient bite down on a sterile stick to see if one tooth is more painful than the others. If the dentist cannot isolate the pain, the patient may be referred to a medical doctor.