After a good night’s sleep, the last thing you want to deal with is a dreaded toothache. But don’t despair! Here are the top five possible culprits of your early-morning mouth pain and solutions to help you get through it.

1. Sinus Infection

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with a sinus infection or you think you may have one, the pressure that you’ve been feeling in your head and nose can eventually travel down to your teeth, especially at night. Your sinuses are located right behind your teeth and the infection can cause the fluids to build up, creating pressure and mouth pain. Taking an over-the-counter decongestant can help relieve some of the pressure until your sinus infection is gone.

2. Bruxism

Bruxism is just a fancy word for teeth grinding and jaw clenching and is extremely common in both adults and children. Everything from stress to bad dreams can lead to nocturnal bruxism and can cause extreme tooth pain if left untreated. If you think you could be grinding your teeth or clenching your jaw at night, talk to your dentist to get set up with a dental night guard. A dental night guard will prevent your teeth from touching while you sleep and will relieve the pressure if you are clenching your jaw.

3. Cavity

If you are experiencing a severe, sharp pain in a specific tooth or teeth, and this pain persists for the rest of the day, you likely have a cavity. Especially if your toothache wakes you up at night or lasts for more than thirty minutes after eating or chewing, definitely call your dental care provider right away.

4. Sleep Positions

It may sound simple, but certain sleeping positions can be a contributing factor to morning toothaches. Take notice of where your pain is coming from. If it’s only coming from one side of your mouth, it could be that the pain was caused by how you were sleeping, like sleeping with your hands underneath your jaw or sleeping on something hard like bracelets, a watch, or even a cell phone. To help prevent toothaches from sleeping positions, remove all jewelry before going to sleep and try to avoid touching your face as you sleep.

5. Recent Dentist Appointment

If you’ve been to the dentist recently, even just for a routine dental cleaning, your teeth may be a little sore for several days after, and you may notice it more first thing in the morning. This is nothing to be concerned about and should go away on its own within 3-5 days. If the pain persists or turns more severe, make an appointment with your dentist.

Remember that pain is always your body’s way of telling you something is wrong, and toothaches are no exception. Getting regular dental cleanings and examinations will help keep your teeth healthy and hopefully prevent the pain from ever starting.

If you are experiencing any of these issues, don’t hesitate to make an appointment at your Cornerstone Family Dentistry and we will work to get you feeling well again!