Three Reasons Why Winter Is Making Your Teeth Hurt!

It is bad enough that winter has arrived in Australia, and the sharp plummet in temperature has your teeth shivering most mornings. When your teeth start to ache during this seasonal cold spell, then you need to start considering what is causing the problem. Dental dramas in winter are not uncommon and can be caused by a number of things. So, here are three of the most common causes of sore teeth in winter so that you can decide whether a trip to the dentist is needed.

Comfort Eating

Many people confess that, during the winter, their diet choices go out the window and comfort eating becomes the norm. However, the problem with comfort eating is not just the extra kilos you will be carting when spring arrives. Comfort eating (and drinking tonnes of hot chocolate) brings with it lots of sugar, and that extra sugar puts the bacteria in your mouth into overdrive as it turns the sugar into plaque. Your aching teeth could be a sign that your teeth are overdue for a plaque removal procedure which is done by your dentist.

Tooth Sensitivity

Speaking of drinking lots of hot chocolate, the increased volume in hot drinks consumed during winter is another reason that your teeth hurt. As your tooth enamel thins out, the nerve endings become more exposed to the air. Cold air during winter makes those nerve endings hurt. Additionally, the nerve endings are also exposed to the hot liquids you are drinking to try and warm up, so it's a double-whammy situation. Talk to your dentist about tooth sensitivity to see what can be done to reduce the irritation you are experiencing.

Winter Illness

Cold and flu germs are rampant this time of year, and these bugs are another common cause of sore teeth. The link between colds and teeth comes into play when your sinuses get infected. When looking inside the mouth, the maxillary sinus is located directly above your top front teeth. A sinus infection means your sinus becomes swollen and inflamed. This, in turn, pushes down onto the nerve endings in your gum line, and that effectively makes your teeth hurt. If the inflammation does not recede when the sinus infection does, then you need to schedule a checkup with your dentist to make sure that no permanent damage has been done to the nerve endings in your gums.

If none of these reasons appear to explain your dental distress, then make an appointment with your dentist to discuss the issue further.


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