A Cold Virus Can Affect Your Dental Health

Having a cold is a real bummer. It is seriously no fun! Beyond having to deal with the annoyances of sniffling, sneezing, and snot (eww!), you also have to deal with sinus pressure, headaches and your teeth may hurt, too! Why do your teeth hurt when you have a cold? Well, that, my friend, is an excellent question.

Behind your cheeks, jawbones and eyebrows are your sinuses, which are little air chambers. Inside your sinuses are little tiny hairs called “cilia”. The cilia help to clean out mucus and keep your air chambers free of debris build up. The problem is that when you have a cold, the chambers might end up blocked with too much mucus. The mucus build-up results in a lot of pressure and since one of those air chambers is stationed right above and behind your upper jaw, you may feel like you have a pretty severe toothache. In reality, it is sinus pain.

Both the flu and sinus infections can cause similar pain in your jaw as well.

Make sure to pay attention to your tooth pain. If it lingers after fully recovering from that nasty cold, there may be a more serious problem to investigate. To know for sure, make an appointment with Eagle Rock Dental Care in Idaho Falls right away! After all, waiting could make the problem worse.

Ways To Prevent A Cold

Make sure that you are consistently washing your hands and avoiding others who are sick and might pass it along. This will significantly help reduce the risk of contracting an illness. In addition to these common-sense precautions that we have all heard before, one of the most effective and overlooked preventative care practices is good dental hygiene.

Following these simple toothbrush tips can help you ward off impending illnesses.

Toothbrushes can house a lot of harmful bacteria. The American Dental Association actually recommends that you replace your toothbrush as often as every 3-4 months. It is also recommended that you discard a toothbrush right away if it was used at all during an illness. This is supposed to help reduce the risk of reinfection. Typically, reinfection is more likely to occur with bacterial infections like strep throat. However, it’s still possible when your weakened immune system has just fought off a significant illness for a flu strain to return.

Additionally, you’ll want to adhere to these guidelines to reduce the risk of illness during this flu season:

Reducing your chances of getting the flu this season is as doable as following simple preventative measures and choosing to practice simple dental hygiene habits. Do your part to help prevent the flu and colds this season by taking care of your mouth and teeth. Schedule an appointment with our Eagle Rock Dental Care offices in Idaho Falls if your teeth hurt. A gargle a day just might keep the doctor away!