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Teeth don’t sit on their own
Teeth, jaw, nerves and the rest of the body affect each other. Marie Wasserman on why it’s worth seeing the whole picture, and on her own journey with teeth and jaw.
Teeth tend to end up in a box of their own. You go to the dentist, you brush, you floss and then you don’t think about them any more. The rest of the body belongs to some other department.
I’ve learned that it’s rarely that simple. This post is about how I’ve come to see teeth and oral health and why I think it’s worth looking at the whole picture.
Everything is connected
The teeth sit in the jaw. The jaw has joints, muscles and nerves. The nerves continue towards the cheek, ear, eye and sinuses. All of that is connected to the rest of the body, and what happens in one place can be felt in another.
I’m a health coach, not a dentist or doctor. I don’t make diagnoses and I don’t claim that teeth cause diseases. But I’ve learned myself that it can pay off to see the tooth as part of something bigger and not just “the tooth on its own”.
My journey, in brief
I’ve had a long journey with teeth and jaw. Parts of my story are on the Story page, where I also write about nerve pain in the face and jaw.
I’ve been through several dental treatments over the years and I have facial pain that I am still investigating. It isn’t over, and I won’t pretend to have all the answers. What I take with me is a new curiosity: instead of asking “which tooth is it?” I ask “what is actually going on here?”.
Pain in the teeth doesn’t always mean a diseased tooth
This was something I had to learn the hard way. Pain can radiate. What feels like toothache, cheek ache or pressure at the sinuses can come from several different places: the tooth itself, the jaw joint, a nerve, the sinuses or pressure from something else. The same symptoms can have many causes.
That is why it is so important to get a proper investigation and to try to tell the causes apart instead of guessing. It is a dentist or doctor who decides which examinations are needed. I’ve learned myself to ask for a thorough examination and to ask questions until I understand.
What I wish someone had told me
- Pain is information. You don’t have to put up with it. Ask for it to be investigated.
- See the whole picture. Teeth, jaw, neck, nerves and the rest of the body can affect each other.
- Tell the causes apart. Tooth, jaw joint, nerve and sinus can feel alike but have different explanations.
- Write it down. When it hurts, what has happened, what you’ve eaten and how you’ve slept. It helps both you and the healthcare professionals.
- Do it together with healthcare. A whole-body perspective doesn’t replace dental care. It complements it.
This is my experience, not a treatment plan. If you are in pain or worried about your teeth or your jaw, contact a dentist or doctor.
Do you recognise yourself?
Then you don’t have to untangle this on your own. We’ll take it at your pace.
Frequently asked questions
Does pain in the teeth mean a tooth is diseased?
Not automatically. Pain can radiate, and what feels like toothache or cheek ache can come from several different places, for example a tooth, the jaw joint, nerves or the sinuses. That’s why a proper examination is important. It is a dentist or doctor who can assess what lies behind it.
Are teeth connected to the rest of your health?
The body is a whole and the mouth is part of it. In some people, teeth, jaw and nerves can affect each other. I’m not claiming that teeth cause illness. I’ve learned that it’s worth looking at the whole picture, together with dental care and healthcare in general.
Should I ignore dental care if I want a whole-body perspective?
No, quite the opposite. The whole-body perspective works best together with dental care and other healthcare. If you are in pain or worried, book an appointment with a dentist or doctor.
