If you have an abnormally smooth, dark pink, or red flat area on your tongue, you may have a condition called median rhomboid glossitis (MRG). The name may sound serious, but unless you have any additional fungal infections along with this condition, you probably won't require treatment. We'll break down the potential causes of your MRG and the occasions when you should seek diagnosis and treatment so you can ensure your oral health keeps you smiling.
What Is Median Rhomboid Glossitis (MRG)?
Think median rhomboid glossitis is a complicated name to remember? Try throwing its other names into the mix – central papillary atrophy and glossal central papillary atrophy. Don't worry. For this article, we'll stick with calling it MRG.
According to the American Academy of Oral Medicine, MRG occurs more often in men, ages 30 to 50. However, anyone can have it, and around 1 percent of the total population is affected. MRG is a smooth, dark pink or red, flat area near the back of your tongue. Your tongue gets this appearance when it's missing filiform papillae, small bumps formed by mucous membrane cells that make up your tongue's surface. Filiform papillae are the only papillae that don't have taste buds, so this shouldn't affect your ability to enjoy food. The shape this condition takes is usually abstract and asymmetrical.
What Are the Symptoms of Median Rhomboid Glossitis?
Median rhomboid glossitis is often asymptomatic, meaning you may not notice you have it at all until a dental professional diagnoses you during a routine care assessment. There is rarely soreness or pain associated with this condition, and it's not contagious. However, some people experience a burning sensation when they eat.
What Are the Causes and Risk Factors for Median Rhomboid Glossitis?
According to a review published by the Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews, about 100 identified fungi species can be found in the human mouth. Most of them don’t cause problems unless there are irregularities.
MRG is believed to be caused by a chronic fungal infection related to the candida group of microorganisms. The fungus Candida lives in most people’s mouths and digestive systems of healthy individuals in low numbers, but it can cause fungal infections when they multiply.
According to the National Health Service (NHS), MRG occurs more often in the following types of patients:
People with diabetes and people with another immunocompromising disease.
Smokers.
People undergoing antibiotic, steroid, or chemotherapy treatments.
Denture wearers, especially if they don't take their dentures out before bedtime.
People with dry mouth.
Individuals with low levels of iron, B12, or folate.
People who eat a high-sugar diet.
How Do You Treat Median Rhomboid Glossitis?
Because symptoms and pain don't usually accompany MRG, there isn't usually a recommended treatment for the condition. A doctor may recommend adjustments in lifestyle to rid yourself of risk factors, like:
Quitting smoking
Taking dentures out before bedtime
Taking vitamin or mineral supplements
Reducing sugar in your diet
Drinking more water and taking other steps to improve dry mouth
According to a study cited in the Journal of the American Dental Association, more than 500 medications cause dry mouth. If your medication is causing dry mouth, your dental professionals may be able to recommend alternatives that will have less of an impact on your oral health.
Your doctor may recommend a culture or lab biopsy to be safe and determine if medication is necessary. If they notice any additional aggressive fungal conditions are accompanying your MRG, they may recommend an antifungal rinse or tablet to kill the organisms and reduce symptoms you may experience.
Practicing good oral hygiene is always recommended and can help reduce the risk of additional microorganism growth in your mouth. Brush at least twice a day, and don't forget to brush your tongue. Clean between your teeth with interdental brushes or water flossers at least once a day. Consider using other helpful products like an antimicrobial mouthrinse and a tongue scraper. And see your dental professional for regular checkups so they can catch any developing conditions early.
If you notice any abnormal changes in your oral health, it's always a good idea to visit your dental professional to be safe and ensure that it won't develop into anything more severe. When you work with your dental professional, you're best positioned to maintain a level of oral health you can smile about.
There are several reasons why you can have mouth pain, and our dentist can examine your mouth to find problems that are affecting your oral health. During a dental office visit, you will likely need medical images of your mouth to understand if the discomfort is caused by an issue deeper in the tissues of your face. It is possible to have multiple problems that are leading to mouth pain, but our dentist is able to provide treatments or procedures to help you feel better. Here are some of the causes for mouth pain.
1. Cavities in Your Teeth
Having cavities in the teeth is one of the most common reasons for pain in the mouth. Our dentist can see tooth decay to begin treatment immediately. For a smaller cavity, a filling made from metal or a composite resin can keep food debris, saliva and air from entering the cavity. If you have a larger cavity, then it is possible that you will need a root canal surgery before a customized dental crown is placed over the tooth. This will also prevent any additional discomfort in your mouth.
2. Canker Sores in the Mouth
If you have one or more canker sores in your mouth, then you will have pain. As saliva touches the canker sore, you will feel a burning sensation, and you will experience the same issues while eating food or swallowing beverages. Canker sores have a variety of causes, including:
Changes in your hormone levels
Several types of viruses
Vitamin deficiencies
Reaction to stress
Allergies to foods
To relieve your discomfort, our dentist can prescribe oral ointments or mouth rinses that will numb the canker sores. Most of these painful canker sores disappear within two weeks.
3. Cracked or Broken Tooth
An injury to a tooth can lead to excruciating pain, but our dentist can find tooth damage with an examination of your mouth. By repairing a damaged tooth, we can eliminate the pain in your mouth. To fix a broken or cracked tooth, you will likely need a root canal along with a dental crown. This is an emergency procedure that is performed right away so that your mouth pain will disappear within a few days.
4. Gum Disease
When you have gum disease, you will notice several symptoms, including swollen and bleeding tissues around your teeth. As gingivitis progresses, the pain in your mouth will increase, making daily living difficult. Alleviating the mouth pain from gum disease requires eliminating the bacteria from your mouth along with removing the infected tissues. Our dentist can anesthetize you while the diseased tissues are cut away. Treatment for gum disease requires multiple visits to our dental office until all of the infection is eliminate.
5. Jaw Joint Disorders
If you have mouth pain in the jaw’s joints, then you may have temporomandibular joint dysfunction. This condition leads to pain in the mouth because the joints of the jaw are inflamed. This inflammation is due to the degradation of the cartilage in the joints, making it painful to open and close your mouth. With this condition, you are more likely to have pain in the morning when you wake up. There are treatments for temporomandibular joint dysfunction, including wearing splints on your teeth at night or having injections of a neurotoxin in the jaw’s joints.
6. A Dislocated Tooth
An accident can dislocate a tooth in your mouth, leading to discomfort. If you have a dislocated tooth, then you need treatment right away. Our dentist can insert a tooth into the socket before stabilizing it with wires that are attached to the nearby teeth. In some cases, a dislocated tooth can reestablish blood supply, helping to restore the tooth to perfect health. If the tooth won’t revive, then our dentist can perform a dental implant procedure.
7. Dry Mouth Syndrome
If the salivary glands in your mouth aren’t manufacturing enough saliva, then you will a dry mouth condition. This can lead to a burning or painful condition in your mouth, making it difficult to swallow food. Without enough saliva, you are more likely to have other oral health issues in your mouth. There are mouthwashes and oral medications that can alleviate a dry mouth condition, helping to reduce your pain.
We've all been there, and we all know how much it can hurt. Maybe it's been in the middle of a fall, or perhaps it was a response to stress, but biting your cheek can be painful. While an accidental cheek bite is nothing to worry about, some people may be biting their inner cheek more often than they realize. It could be the sign of a more serious problem. But don't worry, whether it's accidental or something more, we're here to help you stop biting your cheek.
Why Does Cheek Biting Happen?
Many things can cause you to bite the inside of your cheek. They include:
Lack of attention. Being distracted while involved in activities, like reading a book or watching TV during meals, could result in you biting your cheek without realizing it.
Accidental biting. People can bite their cheek when eating too fast, talking while eating, or getting into a fight or an accident.
Depression or anxiety-related biting. Like biting your nails, you might automatically bite your inner cheek as a reaction to being stressed, anxious, or depressed.
Tooth deflection in the dental arch. Your teeth (usually the wisdom teeth) being deflected toward the cheek can cause lesions. Deviated molars or premolars or badly-designed or poorly-constructed crowns can cause similar lesions.
Psychological-related biting. Chronic cheek biting (known as morsicatio buccarum) is a compulsive behavior that repeatedly causes someone to bite the inside of their cheek. It's classified as a body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB). In some cases, someone with BFRB might not even be aware that they're biting their cheek.
Damage Caused by Cheek Biting
Occasional, accidental cheek bites can result in canker sores, but otherwise, they aren't a cause for too much concern. You might experience some discomfort for a few days, but that's usually it.
Chronic cheek biting can result in redness, painful sores, and tears in the mouth's inner lining (known as the mucosa). With BFRB-related cheek biting, you might also feel increased guilt, shame, or hopelessness, or shy away from social activity to prevent others from noticing the biting.
How Can You Stop Biting Your Cheeks?
If you find yourself regularly biting the inside of your mouth while chewing or talking, it's an excellent time to schedule an appointment with your dentist. If your wisdom or another tooth is causing lesions in your cheek, your dentist might recommend braces or an extraction to correctly align your teeth.
If cheek biting is related to stress, it could be a good idea to speak to a physician or psychologist. Breathwork or relaxation exercises can provide relief and be an effective treatment to prevent inner cheek bites.
If biting the inside of your cheeks is related to BFRD, treatment is multi-fold. A psychologist might recommend keeping track of the behavior by journaling when the cheek biting occurs and what triggered it. One way to change the behavior is by replacing it with a healthier one. For example, chewing gum. And don't forget that receiving emotional support and finding ways to understand the emotions driving this behavior is equally important. A psychologist can be a great resource here.
If you're noticing yourself bite your cheek often, it's important to consult with a physician or dentist. They can help find a treatment plan that makes you feel supported and helps you stop biting your cheek.
When you search for toothpaste, the ads say it all — look for something that will give you minty-fresh breath and shiny white teeth. But what happens when your toothpaste gives you more than what you've bargained for, say chapped lips or rashes around your mouth?
Chances are, you're probably allergic to your toothpaste, which can definitely happen, as Colgate says toothpaste can contain a laundry list of ingredients that can cause a localized reaction. These include gluten, fluoride, fragrance, and flavorings like cinnamon. In an article written for Dental Buzz, dental hygienist Trish Walraven even called toothpaste a cosmetic, which we use because it tastes good — and not because it provides your mouth and teeth with any extras.
How do you know you're allergic to your toothpaste?
Toothpaste allergies can develop even if you've been using your toothpaste for some time. Colgate says one of the most common signs of a toothpaste allergy is having cheilitis, or very chapped lips, which can be accompanied by rashes around the mouth. Very Well Health says toothpaste allergies can also present symptoms of contact dermatitis inside your mouth, including mouth sores, gums, and a tongue which is swollen and sensitive, as well as lips that are itchy and peeling.
Toothpaste allergies are usually confirmed through a patch test, where samples of different chemicals are placed on your back and examined at 48 hours, and then again at 72 or 96 hours. The allergy is confirmed if the patch test site is red, has blisters, or has mild swelling (via Very Well Health).
Best alternatives for commercial toothpaste
If you feel commercial, minty fresh toothpaste is not for you, SELF says there are several alternative brands to commercial toothpaste that you might want to consider. These brands will contain ingredients that may help you clean your teeth, including charcoal (which whitens surface stains), baking soda (which kills plaque but does nothing to kill bacteria), bentonite clay, cinnamon (watch out for allergies!), and sea salt.
But none of these ingredients have been approved by the American Dental Association, so it may be best to see your dentist and get his thoughts on what toothpaste alternatives he might recommend before making a switch that doesn't pay off in the end. If you switch toothpaste and continue to have issues, a visit is definitely in order to your doctor or dentist.
Laughter is the best medicine for the soul, but prevention is the best medicine for your smile. It’s possible to prevent serious oral health complications with just a few minutes of dental care a day. Use these tips from our dentist in Bronx, NY to stop dangerous dental problems before they start!
Cavities
Cavities are holes in the hard enamel surface of your teeth. They develop when plaque, acid, and bacteria eat away at your enamel until it gives way to the invaders. Cavities, also known as dental caries, are one of the most common health problems across the globe.
Unfortunately, dental decay affects children, teenagers, and adults alike. Untreated cavities threaten the overall health of your mouth. Over time, widespread decay can cause chronic pain, infection, tooth loss, and gum disease.
Fortunately, these preventive techniques make it easy to keep your smile cavity-free:
Brush with fluoride toothpaste
Rinse your mouth with water after eating and drinking
Visit your Bronx dentist every six months
If applicable, get dental sealants to seal off the nooks and crannies of your teeth
Swap soda and juice with water
Avoid snacking on sticky candy, since that allows sugar and bacteria to sit on your teeth
Bad Breath
It’s normal to wake up with bad breath, but chronic bad breath all day, every day is a major oral health issue. This condition is known as halitosis, and it usually develops when bacteria overwhelm your mouth.
It’s possible to help prevent bad breath with a few simple at-home strategies:
Brush and floss daily to remove food particles and bacteria
Eat and drink foods that encourage saliva production (i.e. crunchy apples and almonds)
Treat mouth infections promptly
Ask your doctor if your medications may contribute to dry mouth, a leading cause of bad breath
Tooth Loss
Tooth loss is a common complication of gum disease and poor oral health, but it doesn’t have to happen to you! In most cases, tooth loss occurs when unhealthy gums no longer have the strength to support tooth roots. This develops over time, so you have ample opportunity to stop tooth loss before it starts. If you do lose your teeth, the best tooth loss replacement is a dental implant.
Visit your dentist regularly, brush and floss twice a day, and avoid high-sugar foods and drinks. If you can follow those three tips, you’ll set a strong foundation for a lasting healthy smile.
Going to the dentist may be a relatively modern phenomenon, but did you know that people have been using toothpaste since about 500 B.C.? Back then, the ancient Greeks would use a mixture that contained iron rust and coral powder to clean their teeth. Toothbrushes, meanwhile, were bunches of tree twigs that people would chew on.
Luckily, dental care has advanced since then, and we’ve now got many different tools at our disposal to help us take care of our teeth. You rely on your teeth daily to help you eat. Knowing a little more about them and how your behaviors affect your dental health can help you take better care, and keep you smiling long into the future.
1. Your teeth are uniquely yours.
Your teeth are like your fingerprint: They’re uniquely yours. This is why dental records are sometimes used to identify human remains. Even identical twins don’t have identical teeth. Bonus fact: Your tongue also has a unique “tongue print.”
2. They’re a bit like icebergs.
About a third of each tooth is underneath your gums. This is why keeping your gums healthy is as important as making sure your teeth are well cared for. Your gums should always be pink in color, and firm.
3. And you have 32 of them.
Working from your front teeth to the back of your mouth, you have eight incisors (your front teeth), four canine teeth, eight premolars, and 12 molars.
4. Your enamel is the hardest part of your body.
The enamel is the outermost layer of your teeth. Like a hard shell, its primary purpose is to protect the rest of the tooth. The enamel is mostly made of calcium and phosphate, like your bones, but is stronger because of the specific proteins and crystallites that form it.
5. But it isn’t invincible.
Even though it’s there to protect your teeth, the enamel can still chip or crack, and it isn’t safe from decay. Sugars and acids, like those found in soft drinks, interact with bacteria in your mouth and attack your enamel, which marks the start of tooth decay. Soft drinks are particularly damaging when you drink them often, or slowly throughout the day.
6. Yellow means decay.
That’s not just a coffee stain. Enamel is partly responsible for your teeth’s white appearance, and when it decays, your teeth may start to appear yellow. Decaying enamel could also be to blame for any pain you feel.
7. Dentin grows, enamel doesn’t.
Dentin is the layer that lies beneath the enamel, and it’s also harder than your bones. Dentin is made up of small channels and passageways that transmit nerve signals and nutrition through the tooth. There are three types of dentin: primary, secondary, and reparative. While the enamel is basically static, dentin continues to grow and change throughout your life.
8. Your mouth is home to 300 types of bacteria.
Plaque contains millions of bacteria, made up of 200 to 300 differentTrusted Source species. The main culprit for poor tooth health is Streptococcus mutans, which converts sugar and other carbohydrates into the acids which eat away at your teeth.
9. Plaque is the enemy.
White and sticky, it’s constantly growing. If you don’t remove it regularly by brushing and flossing, it can cause tooth decay. Without removal, plaque hardens and develops into tartar. So, brush and floss at least twice daily and see your dentist for regular cleanings.
10. You make 10,000 gallons of spit.
Your body produces about a quart of saliva every day, which comes out to about 10,000 gallons over a lifetime. Saliva plays many important roles in your overall health. For example, it makes food easier to swallow and contains enzymes to jumpstart digestion. When it comes to your teeth, saliva washes away lingering food particles, and contains calcium and phosphate, which can neutralize the acids in plaque that cause damage and decay.
Everyone knows that anything from smoking to poor oral hygiene can result in yellow teeth. As such, having a blue or gray tooth can be scary. Here’s what you need to know.
You probably know that everything from smoking to poor oral hygiene can result in yellow stains on your teeth. But what’s up with blue or gray teeth? Yes, there’s a chance that the teeth might have died, but that isn’t the only possible explanation. Sometimes tooth discoloration is natural and simply a cosmetic problem, but it may also signify dental trauma or another oral health problem.
Let’s talk about the causes of blue or gray teeth and what you can do to get a bright, white smile.
Causes Of Blue Or Gray Teeth
Aging
Aging brings a lot of changes, including dental ones. As you get older, your enamel will wear down, allowing the yellow dentin underneath to show. However, your teeth may also turn a grayish-blue color as you age.
Dead Teeth
There’s always the chance that your tooth is turning blue or gray because it’s dead. A healthy tooth consists of nerves and living pulp. If you notice a tooth or two turning gray, blue, black, or dark pink, the nerves and pulp within the tooth may have died. Infection, trauma, and decay can cause teeth to die and turn a different color.
Dentinogenesis Imperfecta
If you have dentinogenesis imperfecta (hereditary opalescent dentin), your teeth may become translucent or take on a yellow-brown or blue-gray appearance. This rare genetic condition can also result in misaligned and weakened teeth, leading to wear, breakage, and tooth loss.
Dental Restorations
Dental restoration procedures can help correct many dental problems, including chips, cracks, discoloration, decay, and missing teeth. Unfortunately, they can also cause discoloration. Over time, the materials used to restore your teeth and fill your cavities (like dental amalgam, acrylic, glass ionomer, and porcelain) may look blue or gray when showing through your teeth’s translucent enamel or a porcelain surface.
Dental Trauma
After an injury to your tooth, gums, or any nearby tissue, your tooth might not receive a sufficient amount of blood and turn blue or gray. Sometimes, your tooth might heal itself and return to its original color, but other times, it may stay discolored or die.
Exposure To Antibiotics As A Fetus Or Child
Being exposed to tetracycline before the age of eight can result in teeth discoloration — often in the form of blue-gray or yellow-brown horizontal stripes — later in life. Unfortunately, stains resulting from early antibiotic exposure won’t go away on their own, no matter how much you brush and floss.
Root Canals
You might experience tooth discoloration if any pulp tissue or material used to fill the canals was left inside your tooth during a root canal. Root canal medications like Ledermix (whose active ingredients include demeclocycline hydrochloride and triamcinolone acetonide) and Ultracal XS (which contains calcium hydroxide) can also cause tooth discoloration.
To determine the cause behind a gray or blue tooth, your dentist will carefully examine your teeth and gums. They may also order an x-ray to get a better view or perform a pulp test to spot any signs of pulp necrosis.
What Are Some Treatment Options For Blue Or Gray Teeth?
If you have a blue or gray tooth and don’t like the way it looks, don’t worry! There are plenty of safe professional treatment options, such as:
Whitening Treatments: Whitening treatments are known for working on yellowed teeth, but they can also improve the color of blue or gray teeth, whether they are naturally that color or have died. You can use at-home bleaching solutions, laser teeth whitening treatments, or whitening gels, strips, and toothpastes to improve your teeth’s appearance. However, if your teeth are discolored due to being exposed to tetracycline at a young age, your teeth may bleach unevenly.
Veneers: In addition to improving the appearance of chipped, cracked, or misaligned teeth, dental veneers can hide any blue or gray teeth. These semi-permanent, custom-made covers are thin and will fit seamlessly onto your front teeth. Not only can you pick your veneer’s specific shade of white, but you can also choose from different types of veneers, like porcelain veneers and Lumineers.
Crowns: You can also opt for dental crowns. These tooth-shaped caps can be placed over discolored or damaged teeth, improving their appearance and restoring their shape, size, and strength. Common materials for crowns include porcelain, stainless steel, resin, and ceramic.
Need Professional Help?
If you’ve noticed any teeth discoloration, see a dentist as soon as possible. Not only will they be able to tell if the discoloration is due to trauma, pulp necrosis, or something else, but they can determine the best method for improving your tooth’s appearance.
If someone uses the phrase “mouth-watering,” it’s usually a compliment or a sign that they’re appreciating good food. But if your mouth is literally watering, that’s a little different. Excessive saliva, known as hypersalivation, can cause you discomfort and embarrassment and might also lead to other complications. Find out what causes excessive saliva and how to treat it.
What Is Saliva and What Is Its Purpose?
Saliva is derived from blood, which helps maintain the health of hard and soft tissues in your mouth. Healthy saliva flow can wash food away from the teeth and gums, breaks down food for easy swallowing, enhances your ability to taste, and prevents cavities and other infections. Saliva even keeps the surface of your teeth strong by contributing high levels of calcium and fluoride. So, while reduced saliva flow, known as dry mouth, can cause swallowing and digestion problems, excessive saliva in your mouth is also a cause for concern.
Causes of Excessive Saliva
Drooling in infants and toddlers is normal and may often happen while they’re teething. Drooling or hypersalivation in adults is usually associated with infections or nervous system disorders.
Hypersalivation in adults is primarily caused by:
Mononucleosis or sinus infections
Strep throat or tonsillitis
Allergies
Heartburn or GERD
Pregnancy
Use of certain medicines
Reaction to pesticide poisoning or snake or insect venom
Nervous system disorders that cause difficulty with swallowing, like cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, multiple sclerosis, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, autism, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Some people who have excessive saliva are at an increased risk of aspirating saliva, foods, or fluids into their lungs. This can cause problems if they’re also facing issues with bodily reflexes, for example, coughing or gagging. Excessive saliva over time can also cause skin breakdown around the chin and lip area.
How to Treat Excessive Saliva
Treatment for excessive saliva depends on your overall health and other symptoms that you may be having. It is best accomplished by a multidisciplinary team, from primary care physicians to speech therapists, neurologists, and dentists. If you find yourself having excessive saliva in your mouth, it’s essential to consult with your doctor to determine the best treatment plan.
A study in New Approaches in Diagnostics and Treatment recommends that treatment interventions, including speech and swallowing therapy, medications, Botox, and use of oral prosthetic devices, among other things, be used. MedlinePlus notes that a speech therapist can determine if hypersalivation increases the risk of you breathing foods or fluids into your lungs.
Having excessive saliva can be quite uncomfortable, so you must seek out treatment as soon as possible. Consult with your doctor so that together you can find a treatment plan that manages the excessive saliva and makes you feel comfortable and confident.
“Odynophagia” is the medical term for painful swallowing. Pain can be felt in your mouth, throat, or esophagus. You may experience painful swallowing when drinking or eating food. Sometimes swallowing difficulties, known as dysphagia, can accompany the pain, but odynophagia is often a condition of its own.
There’s no one single cause or treatment measure designated for odynophagia. That’s because painful swallowing is related to numerous underlying health conditions. Read on to learn some of the most common medical issues that cause painful swallowing and what to do about them.
Odynophagia vs. dysphagia
Sometimes odynophagia is confused with dysphagia, which is another condition that has to do with swallowing. Dysphagia refers to difficulty swallowing. With this condition, swallowing difficulties occur on a regular basis. It’s also most common in older adults.
Like odynophagia, dysphagia is linked to a variety of causes. The precise treatment depends on the underlying health problem. Dysphagia can be so severe that you may not be able to swallow at all.
Dysphagia and odynophagia may occur at the same time. They can also have the same underlying causes. However, you might have swallowing difficulties without any pain. If this is the case, you likely have dysphagia only. Alternatively, odynophagia can cause pain without swallowing troubles.
Causes
Odynophagia may sometimes be related to a minor condition, such as the common cold. In such cases, painful swallowing will resolve on its own with time.
Chronic painful swallowing may be related to another underlying cause. There are several medical conditions that can cause odynophagia. Among the possibilities are:
Cancer:Sometimes chronic painful swallowing is an early sign of esophageal cancer. This is caused by tumors that develop in your esophagus. Esophageal cancer may develop from long-term smoking, alcohol abuse, or persistent heartburn. It can also be hereditary.
Candida infection:This is a type of fungal (yeast) infection that may occur in your mouth. It can spread and cause esophageal symptoms like painful swallowing.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): This develops from the lower sphincter in the esophagus not closing properly. As a result, stomach acid leaks back into the esophagus. You might have GERD if you experience painful swallowing along with other symptoms, such as heartburn or chest pain.
HIV:Esophagus problems occur often in people with HIV. According to the AIDS Education and Treatment Center Program, Candida infection is the most common cause. Sometimes antiretroviral agents used to treat HIV result in acid reflux. This can then lead to other symptoms like odynophagia.
Ulcers:These are sores that can occur in your mouth, throat, or esophagus, as well as your stomach. Ulcers may also be caused by untreated GERD. The long-term use of anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB), can increase your risk of ulcers.
Odynophagia can also be caused by medical treatments, such as radiation therapy for cancer. Some prescription medications may also lead to painful swallowing.
Diagnosis
Odynophagia is usually diagnosed with an endoscopy. This involves a small lighted camera called an endoscope. It’s placed in your throat so your doctor can get a better look at your esophagus. They’ll also have you try to swallow during the test.
Your doctor may order other tests related to any suspected underlying causes of painful swallowing. However, it’s important to note that your blood tests may come back as normal.
Treatment
The precise treatment plan for odynophagia depends on the underlying cause.
Medications
Depending on the underlying medical condition, painful swallowing may be resolved with medications. For example, prescription medications used to treat GERD can help prevent stomach acid from creeping back up into the pharynx and esophagus. In turn, you may notice improvements in pain when you swallow.
Medications may also be used in treating other underlying causes, such as HIV and infections. Candida infections must be treated with antifungal agents.
Surgery
In cases of esophageal tumors or carcinoma, your doctor may recommend surgical removal of these cells. This option may also be used for GERD if medications don’t help your condition.
Time
If your doctor doesn’t detect any underlying medical issue, painful swallowing might resolve on its own with time. This is common after having a cold or severe allergies. Talk to your doctor if you have recurring discomfort with swallowing.
Outlook
When caught and treated early, many underlying health conditions can improve, along with painful swallowing. The key is to call your doctor if you experience prolonged symptoms.
Left untreated, odynophagia and its underlying cause can lead to further complications. Weight loss may also occur with odynophagia. You may eat less due to the discomforts associated with swallowing. This can lead to other health concerns, such as anemia, dehydration, and malnutrition. If you find this is the case, see your doctor right away.
Are those facial aches your sinuses or a dental issue?
Allergies are the bugbear of many people, hitting every year during pollen season or coming up through unexpected contact with an allergen. If you suffer from frequent allergic reactions, pain in your face and jaw is probably a constant issue – but how can you tell whether the pain is a normal reaction, or a dental issue?
The effects of allergies can cause both phantom pains and real dental issues. It’s important to know what your mouth is telling you, and what to do about it.
The wide-ranging effects of allergies
While most people who are allergic know their usual symptoms very well, allergies can result in an unexpected range of reactions, and a lot of these have an impact on your dental health:
Swelling in the lips, tongue, and tissues of the mouth
Nasal congestion
Sore throat
Headaches
Muscle tension
The range of symptoms caused by allergies comes from the body’s basic response to an allergen. The body responds by gearing up the immune system, which is designed to attack infectious microorganisms. As the immune system involves organs all over the body, the immune response to an allergen can involve many areas of your body.
Allergens can also enter the body by being inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the skin. As the body gets in gear to flush out or attack the allergen, the immediate area that came into contact with the allergen will be affected, but other areas will become involved too.
Tooth pain and allergies: how it works
A tooth ache is not an unusual symptom of environmentally-triggered allergies. If you come into contact with an allergen – such as dog or cat hair, dust, or pollen – your body has an immune response, trying to flush out the allergen or attack it if it’s already in your system.
When it comes to environmental allergens, your sinuses are usually the first affected, and this is actually how your teeth begin to ache. Your system responds to the allergen by filling the sinuses with mucus. This creates a feeling of pressure and occasionally pain.
The pressure in your sinuses can have the knock-on effect of irritating the nerves in your teeth, as the tooth roots are pressed down upon. Your upper molars are particularly likely to be affected, and you may notice an ache in the upper back part of your mouth, similar to that caused by a cavity.
Pain in the teeth isn’t the only effect allergies have on your dental health. Because of the wide-ranging effects you feel when suffering an allergic reaction, the ecosystem of your mouth can be affected in multiple ways, such as dryness in the mouth due to mouth breathing or medication or teeth grinding caused by muscle tension.
Facial pain and allergies
One of the more disturbing symptoms of allergies affecting the sinuses is pain in the upper jaw and facial area. It’s entirely possible to mistake such pain for a very serious developing dental problem.
As the sinuses are a series of cavities in the face, the pain caused by them can be felt in unusual places. Referred pain from blocked sinuses can feel like your teeth are being squished together, much like having an overcrowded jaw. Depending on the areas in which you are experiencing sinus blockages, you might feel pain more on one side of your face than the other, and this pain can be similar to the feeling of a developing tooth abscess.
As an abscess can be a serious issue, it’s important to continue to see your dentist when you experience these symptoms.
Jaw pain and allergies
Pressure from blocked sinuses isn’t the only reason for experiencing pain in the mouth and jaw. The whole-body effect of allergies can have an impact on your mouth via the muscles in your jaw.
The irritation of dealing with an allergy has an effect across your whole body. Seasonal allergies frequently bring with them headaches and watery eyes, and both of these can cause muscles to tense up in the rest of your body. As muscles tense in one area of the body, tension is carried down the line, ultimately resulting in a build-up of pain in certain areas.
For many people, this results in pain in the shoulders, neck and jaw. You may find that when your sinuses clog up, your bottom teeth as well as your top teeth begin to ache. This is not necessarily a cause for worry, but it’s still a good idea to consult a dentist.
Tension experienced in the jaw can be a danger to teeth in other ways, however. A tense jaw often results in clenched teeth or unusual placement of the tongue in the mouth. Because the tension is constant, it’s likely that you won’t notice how it’s affecting your mouth, but it could be doing damage to the structure of your teeth. If you’re experiencing tension in your jaw it’s likely you’ll need help to prevent this damage.
