What you need to know about dental health during the cold season

Low temperatures lead to cracks in the enamel

It is a well-known fact: polar explorers who studied the Arctic and Antarctic often had teeth not only cracked from the cold, but exploded right in their mouths. The reason lies in the very low temperatures, which cause destruction of the enamel of the teeth.

Of course, residents of modern cities are not exposed to such extreme temperatures, but the cold can indeed damage their teeth. If you have a habit of going out of a warm room to the street to smoke, or you regularly eat both very hot and very cold foods (wash down ice cream with scalding tea, for example), then cracks appear on the enamel.

There is also such a phenomenon as aching teeth due to cold. It occurs when the teeth and gums are very sensitive: after breathing cold air for a long time or talking on the street, a toothache or even pain in the gums may appear.

There are two ways to protect your teeth from this. First, give up the combination of hot and cold food, smoke outside, try to talk as little as possible in the cold. Secondly, do not forget about insulation: wear a scarf covering your cheeks, raise the collar of outerwear, wear jackets or coats with deep hoods.

Influenza and SARS Can Cause Toothache

But the cold is dangerous not only for aching teeth. SARS and flu are frequent companions of winter and frost. These diseases can also cause toothache.

The fact is that any inflammatory processes primarily affect the body's immunity. During massive outbreaks of viral diseases, it decreases.

As a rule, if the teeth hurt at the onset of the disease, then a certain inflammatory process is already taking place in them. When the immune system is at the proper level, it stabilizes this process and inflammation in the teeth does not actively develop. The infection that was present in them was controlled in a healthy state of the body, since macrophages (cells that capture and digest bacteria) destroyed some of the pathogenic microorganisms.

But with a decrease in immunity due to influenza or SARS, the body can no longer maintain the normal condition of the teeth. Slow inflammatory processes are exacerbated, and the patient suddenly begins to have a toothache. That is, this problem existed before, but was imperceptible.

In this case, do not hesitate - you need to go to treat the tooth. If it hurts badly, then this may be accompanied by an increase in temperature, which only worsens the patient's condition.

Diseased teeth can lead to sinusitis

There are two types of sinusitis: arising from viruses, as a complication of ARVI, and odentogenic, which develops due to dental problems.

The fact is that the roots of the chewing segment of the teeth of the upper jaw are located on the border with the maxillary maxillary sinus. Sometimes the roots of the teeth even enter it anatomically. And if inflammation occurs in the roots, then it also goes to the sinus, and sinusitis and pus can develop in it.

Treatment of such sinusitis should be aimed at eliminating the root cause - as a rule, problem teeth, due to which the maxillary sinus is inflamed, are simply removed. Although sometimes it is possible to save them, but after treatment.

The procedures are standard: the doctor conducts diagnostics, removes damaged tooth tissues, rinses the canals with antiseptics and prescribes a course of antibiotics to the patient, taking anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic drugs. Then the cavity in the tooth is filled with a cotton swab, and after 2-3 days the patient comes back to rinse the canals with antiseptics, after which the doctor puts the medicine in them and puts a temporary filling. If pus no longer flows out and the patient does not feel pain, the dentist will fill the canals and finally place a permanent filling on the tooth itself. After that, sinusitis also goes away.

But if the teeth were removed, then after healing from sinusitis, you have to think about installing prostheses - implants or bridges. Usually this can be done no earlier than three months later, since stabilization of local immunity in this area is necessary. It is necessary that the inflammation completely disappears, and only then the patient will be ready for implantation.

The opposite situation, when sinusitis begins to negatively affect the teeth, is impossible: the teeth have local immunity, which protects them from the harmful effects of infection from the maxillary sinuses.

Antibiotics don't harm your teeth

Many patients refuse to take antibiotics for fear of the side effects of these drugs. But antibiotics are harmless to teeth - they reduce inflammation, as these are substances that kill microbes that have entered our body. Therefore, taking antibiotics prescribed by a doctor for the treatment of colds or sinusitis can in no way cause toothache, but rather, on the contrary, will soften it, especially if bacteria that cause caries and pulpitis get into the spectrum of action of these antibiotics.

conclusions

A sharp temperature drop can lead to cracks in the enamel, and hypothermia can lead to pain in the teeth.

To avoid this, you need to wear scarves and not eat very cold and very hot at the same time.
A decrease in immunity with colds and flu leads to a more pronounced manifestation of latent inflammatory processes in the teeth, which causes pain. In this case, it is better not to postpone dental treatment.
Inflammation of the roots of the upper chewing teeth can lead to sinusitis,

teeth in this case must be treated or removed.
Antibiotic treatment for influenza, ARVI and sinusitis is safe for the teeth.