Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesTreatmentDiagnosisWhen to Call a Healthcare ProviderFrequently Asked Questions

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Symptoms

Causes

Treatment

Diagnosis

When to Call a Healthcare Provider

Frequently Asked Questions

Toothachescan occur for many reasons, most commonlytooth decayandgum disease. But one cause you may not expect is the inflammation of the sinuses, known assinusitis.

A condition commonly associated withallergic rhinitis(hay fever) andupper respiratory infections, sinusitis can trigger “classic” symptoms affecting the nasal passages and sinuses.It can also cause pain in the upper teeth and jaw that some people mistake for toothache.

This article looks at the causes of toothache in people with sinusitis. It also explains how sinusitis is diagnosed and treated so that you can get fast relief.

Gradyreese / Getty Images

Shot of a young businessman suffering with a headache while working in an office

Symptoms of Sinusitis

Thesinusesare a connected system of hollow cavities in the skull located near your eyes, nose, cheeks, and forehead. The sinuses are lined withmembranes that secrete mucusto trap debris that you either breathe in or enter the nostrils on their own.

Sinusitis causes the sinuses and nasal passages to swell, narrow, and secrete excess mucus. Depending on the underlying cause, this can lead to:

Sinusitis can sometimes be mistaken for atension headache,deviated septum,nasal polyps, or adental infection or abscess.

Signs and Symptoms of a Sinus Infection

Causes of a Sinus Toothache

The nerve roots affecting the upper teeth and jaw are located near the sinuses. When the sinuses are inflamed, the swollen tissues can compress these nerves. This causes an aching pain in the upper teeth and jaw. The back upper teeth are most commonly affected.

4 Nasal Changes That Cause Sinus Infections

How to Treat a Sinus Toothache

If you have a sinus toothache, you don’t need to treat your teeth. You need to treat underlying sinus inflammation. By relieving the pressure placed on the nerve roots of the upper jaw and teeth, the tooth pain will quickly ease.

Home Remedies

Most cases of sinusitis can be treated at home, particularly those associated with allergic rhinitis and seasonal allergies.

These home remedies may include:

Medications

Certain over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription drugs can help ease sinus symptoms as well as the underlying conditions that lead to sinus inflammation.

OTC medication options include:

Prescription drug options include:

How a Sinus Infection Is Diagnosed

Are There Tests to Check for Sinusitis?

People with a sinus toothache will sometimes go to a dentist thinking they have a dental problem. When their dentist is unable to find one, they may be referred back to their primary care provider for further examination.

In addition to a physical exam and a review of your medical history, your healthcare provider may perform tests to determine the underlying cause of the inflammation. This is particularly true if your symptoms are severe, recurrent, or resistant to OTC treatments.

Tests and procedures include:

As aggravating and debilitating as sinusitis can be, it generally does not require urgent medical care. However, there are exceptions, particularly with regard to a severe sinus infection.

See your healthcare provider immediately if:

Why Fungal Sinusitis Should Worry You

Summary

Treating the underlying cause of sinusitis will almost always resolve the tooth pain. If sinusitis is affecting your ability to function normally, ask your healthcare provider for a referral to an ear, nose, and throat specialist known as anotolaryngologist. If all other treatments fail, the specialist may recommendfunctional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS)to remove obstructions and improve mucus clearance and breathing.

Frequently Asked QuestionsWith severe or prolonged sinusitis, fluid can sometimes become trapped in the space behind the eardrum. The warmth of the middle ear provides the perfect environment for bacteria to grow, leading tootitis media(middle ear infection).It might be needed if your sinusitis fails to respond to conservative treatments and is severely affecting your ability to breathe. In this case,functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS)may be recommended.FESS involves the insertion of a flexible scope with specialized tools into the nostril. The surgeon will remove bone, diseased tissues, or polyps that may be blocking your sinuses.Several factors can significantly increase the risk of sinusitis, including:AsthmaAllergiesSmoking and secondhand smokeLong-term use of decongestant spraysAir pollutionNasal polypsDeviated septumLearn MoreWhat Is Pansinusitis?

With severe or prolonged sinusitis, fluid can sometimes become trapped in the space behind the eardrum. The warmth of the middle ear provides the perfect environment for bacteria to grow, leading tootitis media(middle ear infection).

It might be needed if your sinusitis fails to respond to conservative treatments and is severely affecting your ability to breathe. In this case,functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS)may be recommended.FESS involves the insertion of a flexible scope with specialized tools into the nostril. The surgeon will remove bone, diseased tissues, or polyps that may be blocking your sinuses.

It might be needed if your sinusitis fails to respond to conservative treatments and is severely affecting your ability to breathe. In this case,functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS)may be recommended.

FESS involves the insertion of a flexible scope with specialized tools into the nostril. The surgeon will remove bone, diseased tissues, or polyps that may be blocking your sinuses.

Several factors can significantly increase the risk of sinusitis, including:AsthmaAllergiesSmoking and secondhand smokeLong-term use of decongestant spraysAir pollutionNasal polypsDeviated septumLearn MoreWhat Is Pansinusitis?

Several factors can significantly increase the risk of sinusitis, including:AsthmaAllergiesSmoking and secondhand smokeLong-term use of decongestant spraysAir pollutionNasal polypsDeviated septum

Several factors can significantly increase the risk of sinusitis, including:

Learn MoreWhat Is Pansinusitis?

10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ah-See K.Sinusitis (acute rhinosinusitis).BMJ Clin Evid.2015;2015:0511.Renton T.Odontogenic (dental) pain.Rev Pain.2011 Mar;5(1):2–7. doi:10.1177/204946371100500102Min JY, Tan BK.Risk factors for chronic rhinosinusitis.Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2015;15(1):1–13. doi:10.1097/ACI.0000000000000128Little RE, Long CM, Loehrl TA, Poetker DM.Odontogenic sinusitis: A review of the current literature.Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2018;3(2):110–114. doi:10.1002/lio2.147Pynnoen MA, Lynn S, Kern HE, et al.Diagnosis and treatment of acute sinusitis in the primary care setting: a retrospective cohort,Laryngoscope. 2015 Oct;125(10):2266–72. doi:10.1002/lary.25363American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.Saline sinus rinse recipe.Seidman MD, Gurgel RK, Lin SY, et al.Clinical practice guideline: allergic rhinitis.Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015;152(1 Suppl):S1-43. doi:10.1177/0194599814561600Weber RK, Hosemann W.Comprehensive review on endonasal endoscopic sinus surgery.GMS Curr Top Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015;14:Doc08. doi:10.3205/cto000123Domachowske J.Otitis, sinusitis, and mastoiditis: ear or facial pain following a common cold.Intro Clin Infect Dis.2018 Oct;15:37–51. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-91080-2_4Patel ZM, Hwang PH.Acute bacterial rhinosinusitis.Infection Ear Nose Throat Sinuses.2018 May;4:133–43. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-74835-1_11

10 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ah-See K.Sinusitis (acute rhinosinusitis).BMJ Clin Evid.2015;2015:0511.Renton T.Odontogenic (dental) pain.Rev Pain.2011 Mar;5(1):2–7. doi:10.1177/204946371100500102Min JY, Tan BK.Risk factors for chronic rhinosinusitis.Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2015;15(1):1–13. doi:10.1097/ACI.0000000000000128Little RE, Long CM, Loehrl TA, Poetker DM.Odontogenic sinusitis: A review of the current literature.Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2018;3(2):110–114. doi:10.1002/lio2.147Pynnoen MA, Lynn S, Kern HE, et al.Diagnosis and treatment of acute sinusitis in the primary care setting: a retrospective cohort,Laryngoscope. 2015 Oct;125(10):2266–72. doi:10.1002/lary.25363American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.Saline sinus rinse recipe.Seidman MD, Gurgel RK, Lin SY, et al.Clinical practice guideline: allergic rhinitis.Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015;152(1 Suppl):S1-43. doi:10.1177/0194599814561600Weber RK, Hosemann W.Comprehensive review on endonasal endoscopic sinus surgery.GMS Curr Top Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015;14:Doc08. doi:10.3205/cto000123Domachowske J.Otitis, sinusitis, and mastoiditis: ear or facial pain following a common cold.Intro Clin Infect Dis.2018 Oct;15:37–51. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-91080-2_4Patel ZM, Hwang PH.Acute bacterial rhinosinusitis.Infection Ear Nose Throat Sinuses.2018 May;4:133–43. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-74835-1_11

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Ah-See K.Sinusitis (acute rhinosinusitis).BMJ Clin Evid.2015;2015:0511.Renton T.Odontogenic (dental) pain.Rev Pain.2011 Mar;5(1):2–7. doi:10.1177/204946371100500102Min JY, Tan BK.Risk factors for chronic rhinosinusitis.Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2015;15(1):1–13. doi:10.1097/ACI.0000000000000128Little RE, Long CM, Loehrl TA, Poetker DM.Odontogenic sinusitis: A review of the current literature.Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2018;3(2):110–114. doi:10.1002/lio2.147Pynnoen MA, Lynn S, Kern HE, et al.Diagnosis and treatment of acute sinusitis in the primary care setting: a retrospective cohort,Laryngoscope. 2015 Oct;125(10):2266–72. doi:10.1002/lary.25363American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.Saline sinus rinse recipe.Seidman MD, Gurgel RK, Lin SY, et al.Clinical practice guideline: allergic rhinitis.Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015;152(1 Suppl):S1-43. doi:10.1177/0194599814561600Weber RK, Hosemann W.Comprehensive review on endonasal endoscopic sinus surgery.GMS Curr Top Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015;14:Doc08. doi:10.3205/cto000123Domachowske J.Otitis, sinusitis, and mastoiditis: ear or facial pain following a common cold.Intro Clin Infect Dis.2018 Oct;15:37–51. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-91080-2_4Patel ZM, Hwang PH.Acute bacterial rhinosinusitis.Infection Ear Nose Throat Sinuses.2018 May;4:133–43. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-74835-1_11

Ah-See K.Sinusitis (acute rhinosinusitis).BMJ Clin Evid.2015;2015:0511.

Renton T.Odontogenic (dental) pain.Rev Pain.2011 Mar;5(1):2–7. doi:10.1177/204946371100500102

Min JY, Tan BK.Risk factors for chronic rhinosinusitis.Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2015;15(1):1–13. doi:10.1097/ACI.0000000000000128

Little RE, Long CM, Loehrl TA, Poetker DM.Odontogenic sinusitis: A review of the current literature.Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2018;3(2):110–114. doi:10.1002/lio2.147

Pynnoen MA, Lynn S, Kern HE, et al.Diagnosis and treatment of acute sinusitis in the primary care setting: a retrospective cohort,Laryngoscope. 2015 Oct;125(10):2266–72. doi:10.1002/lary.25363

American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.Saline sinus rinse recipe.

Seidman MD, Gurgel RK, Lin SY, et al.Clinical practice guideline: allergic rhinitis.Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015;152(1 Suppl):S1-43. doi:10.1177/0194599814561600

Weber RK, Hosemann W.Comprehensive review on endonasal endoscopic sinus surgery.GMS Curr Top Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015;14:Doc08. doi:10.3205/cto000123

Domachowske J.Otitis, sinusitis, and mastoiditis: ear or facial pain following a common cold.Intro Clin Infect Dis.2018 Oct;15:37–51. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-91080-2_4

Patel ZM, Hwang PH.Acute bacterial rhinosinusitis.Infection Ear Nose Throat Sinuses.2018 May;4:133–43. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-74835-1_11

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