Expert: Joel S. Teig, DMD, Diplomate ABOMS, retired - 5/26/2006

Question
as i do not have pain when i touch the sinus area just pressure to my face and head,and do not have any other symptoms associated with sinus i.e runny nose can it still be sinus related?
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Followup To

Question -


Answer -
Carole -  Unfortunately, what you have endured is not unheard of in dentistry.  Not every dentist is versed enough in the possible causes of discomfort in an area and they often just look at teeth.

The maxillary sinus is a large space on both the right and left sides of your face.  This space extends from under your eye to a point at the ends of the roots of the back teeth.  Often symptoms of teeth show up as sinus pain and vice versa sinus pain can show up as dental pain.  Dental xrays are limited in their ability to diagnose sinus infections and as such the dentist is unable to adequately define the actual source in a situation that you describe.

As far as the removal of the wisdom teeth, was it performed by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon or was it the dentist?  If it was a surgeon, a panoramic xray should have been taken and would have adequately diagnosed whether the problem lay with the teeth, the sinus or both.

Now is the problem.  You are suffering and that suffering has magnified due to the long term inflammation you have suffered through.  Diagnosis must be made by people who are well versed in both dental cause and sinus cause.  If the problem is due to the sinus, whether now only or before also, then you should see and ear, nose and throat doctor (MD).  If you were never seen by an oral surgeon then going to a doctor like myself can better define the source and refer you to an ENT if necessary or treat you if the problem remains dental.

From your description it sounds like sinus, but I can't definitely be sure.  See one of the above or both to allow you to live a normal life and not one overwhelmed with pain.

If you have any further questions do not hesitate to contact me again.

Answer
Carole -  Unfortunately, although not normal, inflammation to the sinus can present in many different ways.  The question is also "is it the teeth".  I can't say, but a panoramic xray can better define the situation and I would recommend it to you.

If you have further questions do not hesitate to contact me again.