The internet—it connects you with nearly endless information, but it still has limits. For instance, when you have facial pain, a Google or WebMD search can’t tell you exactly what is wrong because more than one issue can have this symptom.
What can cause facial pain? What should you do if you have this symptom? Keep reading to learn what facial pain could mean and where to turn for help.
Dental Conditions That Can Result in Facial Pain
Many times, facial pain, particularly around the mouth, indicates a local problem. Contact a dentist for an emergency appointment to see if the issue is one of the following:
- Dental abscess: An abscess is a deep tooth infection that extends into the roots and that usually shows up as a bump or swelling of the gums—in addition to extreme tooth or facial pain.
- Dry socket: If you have recently had a tooth extracted, you’re at risk of dry socket, a painful infection that occurs when the surgical site doesn’t heal as it should and is not properly protected by a blood clot.
- Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) issues or bruxism: Whether it’s a result of the upper and lower teeth not matching up correctly or a problem with the joint itself, it may be painful to open and close your mouth. Also, grinding or clenching your teeth, namely while you sleep, can exhaust the jaw muscles and lead to tooth damage as well as pain in the mouth.
In these situations, your dentist is your best resource for treatment.
Medical Conditions That Can Result in Facial Pain
Facial pain doesn’t always point to a dental problem. After all, there are many important organs and parts of the body close to the mouth. If your dentist doesn’t find anything wrong with your teeth or gums, then you’ll need to see your physician to possibly identify and treat one of the following:
- Sinus infection: Your sinuses are located just above your mouth, and the swelling can seem to put pressure on your nose and teeth. A sinus infection has many similar symptoms as a cold or allergies, so seeing a doctor is important it persists beyond a few days.
- Nerve dysfunction: Your face has many sensory nerves, and if the connection between the nerve and your brain is hindered or dysfunctional, it can cause significant pain.
- Shingles: This virus from childhood chicken pox can resurface later in life as a painful rash, which may affect and afflict your face.
- Headaches: Simply because of its proximity to the brain, your mouth and face may also feel pain.
Whether your facial pain comes from a dental or medical issue, your dentist can serve as your first responder, checking for dental problems. They can give you more personalized guidance than the internet and help you identify the real cause.
About the Author
With about 20 years of clinical experience, Dr. Muhammad Golparvar has been available to help patients from Manchester and other surrounding areas with facial pain when they need it most. After graduating from the Boston University Dental School, he served as an assistant clinical professor for more than four years. He has completed six course levels for CEREC as well as other areas of dentistry to benefit his patients. If you have facial pain, you can set an appointment at Webster Dental Associates online or call the office at 603-669-4252.