why do my teeth hurt when i have a cold
Last updated September 6, 2026.
Tooth pain during a cold usually comes from swollen, fluid-filled sinuses pressing on the roots of your upper back teeth, not from damage to the teeth themselves. The maxillary sinuses sit directly above your upper molars and premolars, so pressure inside them is felt as a dull ache across several teeth at once. Bending forward, lying flat, or walking down stairs often makes it worse, and the ache eases as your congestion drains. Mouth breathing, a dry mouth, and repeated coughing or sneezing can add soreness in the jaw. Steam, saline nasal rinses, fluids, and sleeping with your head raised usually settle it within a few days. Pain in one single tooth, or pain that outlasts the cold, points to a dental cause instead.
What to do
- Map the pain first: Tap each sore tooth gently; if many teeth in one upper area hurt equally, sinus pressure is the likely source.
- Open the sinuses: Use saline nasal spray or rinse, breathe steam from a hot shower, and drink enough fluids to keep mucus thin.
- Change your position: Prop your head up on an extra pillow at night so the sinuses drain instead of pooling over your tooth roots.
- Use pain relief correctly: Acetaminophen or ibuprofen at label doses helps sinus and tooth ache; check other cold products so you do not double up on the same ingredient.
- Protect a dry mouth: If you are breathing through your mouth, sip water often and keep brushing and flossing so gums do not get more irritated.
- Call a dentist for red flags: Get seen for one throbbing tooth, facial or gum swelling, pain waking you at night, or tooth pain that stays after the cold ends.
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