What’s at the Root of Some Sinus Infections?

IT DOESN’T HAPPEN every time, but sinus infections sometimes trace back to the teeth. To understand why, we need to understand tooth infections. Tooth infections happen when decay or injury enables bacteria to get past the enamel and dentin layers to reach the pulp at the core of a tooth. Tooth infections are often very painful and they can lead to particularly painful abscesses. However, sometimes, the only symptoms are sinus problems.

The Anatomy of Sinuses and Upper Molars

For some people, the roots of the upper molars actually reach into the sinuses. If one of those teeth becomes infected, the bacteria could actually drain into the sinuses and cause sinus infections (maxillary sinusitis of endodontic origin, or MSEO) instead of the typical tooth pain and dental abscesses.

Misunderstood Symptoms

Symptoms of MSEO are congestion, runny nose, facial pain, post-nasal drip, and a foul taste and odor — just like a sinus infection. Someone with these symptoms will probably go to a doctor for treatment instead of any kind of dentist, and they’ll get treated for sinus infection instead of tooth infection. Prescription antibiotics can only temporarily treat the symptoms because they don’t get at the cause, which is the infected tooth.

The Endodontist Can Help

Only root canal therapy can stop MSEO. Anyone experiencing sinus problems that don’t seem to respond to normal treatments might benefit from an endodontist’s opinion.

Top image used under CC0 Public Domain license. Image cropped and modified from original.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.