How A Dentist Can Help With Seasonal Allergies

Most people don’t usually think of their dentists when they think about help with their seasonal allergies but your dentist can actually put an end to some of the seasonal allergy and hay fever suffering you or a loved one might soon be experiencing. Yes, allergy season is right around the corner. So while daffodils sprouting from the ground and longer hours of sunlight mark Spring’s arrival for many, this time of year is feared by millions of allergy sufferers whose days are full of the discomfort caused by seasonal hay fever and allergies. The most common symptoms of seasonal allergies are itchy, watery eyes, runny noses, sinus pressure, and sneezing.

These uncomfortable symptoms are the body’s natural response to the exposure to potentially pathogenic microbes from the increase in pollen and dust in the air. And though irritating, it is really your body fighting to minimize the chance of disease. What the body’s immune system is doing is beginning to naturally create excess mucus to trap and ultimately rid the body of these unwanted allergens through sneezing and runny noses. But, as the body continues to excrete mucus, oftentimes the sinus cavities have difficulty draining which creates sinus pressure. The mucus, which was intended to capture and excrete allergens, now cannot drain through the walls of the sinus cavities, and this leads to increased congestion and mounting pressure as the mucus builds up in the sinus cavities. The cavities through which mucus flows are called sinuses and are located behind the forehead (frontal sinus), behind the nose (ethmoid sinus), and above the teeth (maxillary sinus). Sinus congestion in the maxillary sinus can lead to a numbing and uncomfortable pain along your top teeth. When patients come to their dentist complaining of this type of pain, an experienced dentist will immediately consider that the pain is not due from a problem with the teeth but actually, with the maxillary sinus and will conduct a thorough exam to determine this. If the exam shows there is no real dental pathology then dental treatment is required. That is likely good news for most patients as more than ten percent of Americans fear going to the dentist—but it also means that the patient must then see an allergist.

The allergist can further explain that the tooth pain is the result of pressure building up in the maxillary sinuses, which, as noted above, is located right above the roots of the upper teeth. The pain results from allergies, not from any damage to the teeth and the allergist can then prescribe the proper treatment plan. There are treatment options for this maxillary sinus pain. Once the dentist rules out the possibility of a toothache and after visiting an allergist, you can treat the symptoms of seasonal allergies through targeting the sinus congestion and pressure from airborne allergens.

Seasonal allergies, including those resulting in tooth pain, are very common, but that does not make them any less miserable to experience. Please visit the appropriate medical professional should you experience symptoms of seasonal allergies so you can get the proper help, guidance, and medication and get back to enjoying the outdoors again!

Dublin Dentist Dr. James Huang discusses how visiting a dentist can help with your seasonal allergies, particularly those allergies that result in tooth pain and mouth discomfort.