Why Do Your Teeth Hurt When Sick?

When you’re ill, you’re hoping for a runny nose, fever, perhaps body aches—but toothaches? That’s the one that gets the best of most of us. So why is your mouth sore when you’re ill? The answer lies in a combination of sinus congestion, swelling, and how your body metabolizes illness. Armed with that information, you can alleviate the pain and tend to your mouth when you’re getting over an illness.

Common Conditions That Result in Toothache

A few of the most prevalent diseases cause toothaches indirectly. They are:

• Sinus infections – Most often, the number one culprit.
• Cold and influenza – Both create nasal congestion.
• Upper respiratory infections – Create pressure that radiates to your face and jaw.

When you are ill, particularly with a virus that is infecting your sinuses or your airway, your body is changing in some pretty weird ways that can make your mouth and teeth hurt.

How Sinus Pressure Makes Teeth Hurt When Sick

Perhaps the most common cause of a toothache when you have an illness is sinus pressure. Your upper back teeth have maxillary sinuses resting right on top of them. When you catch a cold, your sinuses become inflamed and filled with mucus. The pressure this places on your roots can make you feel a throbbing, aching pain that resembles a toothache, when otherwise your teeth are healthy.

This is so prevalent for one part of the body to affect another. Most individuals wrongly believe they have a tooth issue when, in reality, it’s a sinus.

Fever, Dehydration, and Oral Health Disease result in fever and dehydration, and both are not good for your oral health. When your body is not filled with fluid, your mouth is dry. Saliva is helpful in buffering acids and rinsing bacteria out of your mouth, so when you lack saliva, your mouth will be more prone to sensitivity and infection.

Dry mouth can result in:

• Greater tooth sensitivity.
• Bad breath.
• Bacterial deposition
• Gum inflammation

So it is not necessarily the disease itself; it is also how it affects your body’s functioning to protect your teeth.

Inflammation and Immune Response

When your body is getting ready to fight infection, inflammation is the strongest tool in its toolbox. While inflammation is a wonderful thing for your body because it means your body is healing, inflammation also aggravates your nerves and your gums. Infected gums can push against the tooth roots or tenderize the exposed surfaces of the tooth to pressure and temperature.

This is a typical immune response, and it can cause increased sensitivity and pain in your mouth and teeth.

Why Do Teeth Hurt When Sick: Bruxism and Jaw Clenching. When you’re sick, especially with fever or tension of illness, you might unconsciously grind your jaw or clench your teeth, especially at night. This is bruxism, a silent teeth pain when sick culprit.

Bruxism leads to:

• Sore teeth and gums
• Jaw ache
• Worn enamel
• Headaches

Jaw tension and clenching are usually involuntary, but they will contribute to whatever sensitivity you have and hurt your entire mouth.

Underlying Dental Conditions Complicated by Disease

Sometimes, becoming ill only exacerbates already poor problems. If you have not yet had your cavities, gingivitis, or broken teeth filled, swelling and pressure from becoming ill can make the pain worse. Your compromised immunity also means that you cannot fight off minor infections as effectively, so already poor dental problems can get worse.

Be particularly careful if:

• Localized pain to one location
• You have bleeding or inflamed gums
• Ache persists even after recovery.

In such instances, seeing a dentist is always the best option to eliminate more severe conditions.

Home Remedies and Relief Tips for Toothache

If your teeth hurt while you are sick, there is good news: Much of the pain can be relieved at home with a few simple steps:

• Stay hydrated – Have plenty of water available to offset dry mouth.
• Use decongestants – Clear the sinus pressure to stop referred tooth pain.
• Apply warm compresses – Stops sinus pressure.
• Practice good oral habits – Keep brushing and flossing, even when you don’t feel like it.
• Salt water rinse – Soothes sore gums and kills bacteria.

Remember: painkillers like ibuprofen can even reduce swelling and cause pain relief, but always first consult a doctor.

What to Do If Your Teeth Hurt When Sick

Although a toothache when ill in most situations is temporary and harmless, there are some situations when you would need to visit a doctor or dentist:

Pain lasts for over one week

You have jaw or gum swelling. The pain is stabbing and localized. You have a fever following dental pain. Don’t ignore these symptoms. Sometimes, that appears to be a sinus toothache is an abscess or other dental crisis.

So why do your teeth hurt when you are sick? The cause is a complex combination of sinus pressure, immune reactions, jaw clenching, and underlying dental pathology. Your mouth knows if your body is tense. Learning these relationships can help you maintain good oral health even when you have a cold or the flu. Whether it’s keeping yourself hydrated, running a humidifier, or getting to your dentist when you need to, doing all you can to alleviate pain will go a very long way towards assisting you in recovering, both on the inside and outside.