Pain at the root of the tooth due to a cold | Pain at the root of the tooth

Pain at the root of the tooth due to a cold

A cold not only leads to sore throat, cough, headache, aching limbs and a runny nose. Many people who suffer from a flu-like infection often complain of toothache and visit a dentist more often. Most people are not aware that these toothaches often have no cause on the teeth themselves.

The pain is usually localized on the teeth in the upper jaw. This is due to the anatomical proximity of the upper jaw teeth to the maxillary sinus. Flu-like infections manifest themselves, among other things, through bacteria in the maxillary sinus.

The roots of the upper teeth often even protrude into the maxillary sinus and are therefore directly related to a bacterial environment in the infected maxillary sinus. These bacteria can cause pain at the root of the tooth, which can even become so severe that medication must be taken and the dentist must be consulted. An inflammation of the tooth root as a result of a cold is possible.

Diagnosis

In case of any kind of pain at the root of the tooth, it is advisable to go to the dentist, although the diagnosis may not always be easy and clear. As a rule, an X-ray is taken of the affected pain region.In apical periodontitis, a dark shadow below the root tip is visible on this, which indicates this disease. However, if the permanent pain is caused by an acute inflammation of the pulp (pulpitis), only the nerve tissue within the pulp is inflamed and the inflammation has not yet penetrated to the root tip.

If the X-ray does not show any pathological changes, other tests must be used at this point. First, the dentist performs a vitality test by holding something cold against the affected tooth. If the patient does not feel a subjective sensation of cold on the tooth in question, the nerve is already damaged or dead and the process of metabolism by bacteria has already started.

Another diagnostic tool is the percussion test, in which the dentist taps the affected tooth with a blunt instrument. This tapping is usually very uncomfortable and painful for the person affected with dental root inflammation, since the tooth irritates the inflamed tissue through the tapping. A palpation (palpation) along the gingiva can also be clarifying for the diagnosis, as it allows palpation of a possible swelling.