Should I see a dentist or a doctor?

Had you been having teeth problems before this started?

In general, I think I’d start out with the doctor

Honestly, I have no clue. I wound up at the doctor. I had a horrible infection (sinus) and it developed very quickly. My left side of my face and neck hurt so much that I wouldn’t eat anything that required a lot of chewing. I felt like my teeth were going to fall out. I did go to the doctor, after another day or two of trying to tough it out.

Before this, did you have any tooth pain?

See you primary care doctor. If you are getting worse or not improving, it is time to make an appointment.

@basp – you are faster!!

LOL @cak!

A sinus infection can make your teeth hurt. Everything is in close quarters up there. I also had a terrible toothache one time (ended up having a root canal) and I had all of the symptoms you are describing. I would start with your doctor first though.

No tooth pain before this all started. I guess I’ll wait another day, and go to my doc if it hasn’t cleared up. Thanks for the advice.

Sounds like sinus and ear to me, especially with swollen glands. See your primary care Doctor tomorrow.

I am an audiologist, and my teeth hurt if the pressure in my sinuses gets bad. But we do also have patients with TMJ problems that complain of ear pain – but their glands aren’t swollen.

@Auggie: If you wait another day, you may be stuck and miserable until Monday. Call tomorrow AM.,please.

Yes, it’s possible it’s all the above. As a former dental assistant, I saw symptoms like this all the time. If it is a toothache, (it could be a minor abscess) it can be hard to tell which tooth is in question and that can also cause the sinus/ear pain on that side. Then again, it could just be your sinuses and I would suggest see a doctor soon it was always so cool to see the sinus cavity on the panoramic x-rays. If the sinus cavity was cloudy the dentist would always point that out to the patient and inform them that they may have some sinus problems Sometimes I miss my job.

Start with a doctor! If a dentist sees you like that he will send you straight to a doctor before he does anything for you. Please go soon! I worry!!!

Ok guys…I’ll go tomorrow if I don’t wake up feeling much better. Without any health insurance, I just wanted to make sure I need to go. Tonight, I’ll take a decongestant & use a heating pad on my face, and we’ll see where I am in the morning. Thanks for caring!

@augustlan: After you take the decongestant, drink a lot of water, blow your nose gently and don’t sniff the mucus back in… good luck! And btw, my teeth ache like crazy whenever my sinuses are full. Feel better soon.

I have to agree that a doctor would be a good start. It is true that sinus infections can cause tooth pain (as can tooth abscesses, of course), but there are other potential etiologies for your symptoms that are better evaluated by a doctor. For example, TMJ syndrome can certainly cause this constellation of symptoms, as can giant cell arteritis, or a simple ear infection. Best to go tomorrow morning. I hope you feel better.

Now listen to what the good doctor says, okay?

If it is a dental problem then it’s urgent. Let us know what the doc says!

Well? Well??

Ha…settle down loser! Ok, so I woke up and felt even worse. I went to the doc today, she thinks it’s a sinus infection and prescribed antibiotics. I’ve taken the first dose and multiple pain killers and feel marginally better. The good news is that the drugs were free. The bad news? The visit cost me $82.00! Being without insurance is not fun :(

Which antibiotics? Any other meds like decongestants?

@shilolo She (not my actual doctor, but a PA) prescribed Amoxicillin, 500mg, 2 capsules twice daily. Only because she knows I’m without insurance and could get it for free from a local store. I’m already taking Claritin D. Does that all sound right?

The amoxicillin dosage is right. You might want to ditch the claritin D and go right to sudafed alone. Antihistamines tend to dry membranes out, which can make things worse. Also, a mucolytic like guafenesin (Robitussin) can make the mucus thinner, which will help it drain.

Thanks Doc. I’ll see about getting some tomorrow.

Hope you’re feeling better SOON!!!

Me, too :(

Awww…feel better soon, Auggie.

Mucinex is another brand of guaifenesin. And Mucinex-D combines it with the Sudafed. Robitussin has a number of different formulas, so read the active ingredients to ensure that you are getting what you really want.

It’ll take a couple days for the antibiotics to kick in, but even when you do start feeling better, be sure to continue taking them until they are done… otherwise you might not kill all the bacteria and the infection could come back stronger than ever.

Dear Auggie:
Don’t kiss your honey when your nose is runny;
you may think it’s funny, but it’s s-not!

:) Hope you feel better soon!

We want a doctors report!

@augustlan I don’t typically recommend Mucinex, not because I don’t like it, but because for some reason it is much more expensive than buying generic guafenesin in syrup form (i.e. Waltussin, or another generic brand). I often wondered why no one created a pill form of guafenesin, and lo’ and behold, out came Mucinex (yet, it is very pricey).

I just realized that with the addition of the antibiotic I am now taking 13 prescription pills a day. This sucks. Royally.

Ouch. I assume the pharmacist/doctor checked to make sure there weren’t any significant drug interactions. Amoxicillin isn’t a typical offender as an antibiotic, but it is worth a double check.

Have you tried an netti pot? It really helps with sinus infections. It actually made my cold go away faster than the same bug did for my husband.

@shilolo Excellent point. As a matter of fact, the pharmicist couldn’t have known about all my other drugs, as I get my regular Rx-es filled at a different drug store, and only got the antibiotic filled at this one because they are offering free antibiotics (only certain ones) all winter as a promotion. However, my doc’s office is one of the few that have switched over to digital record keeping, and I’m pretty sure their system would have caught it even if the PA wasn’t on top of it.

@Judi My step-son just recommended that to me as well. I might give it a go.