Toothaches can be incredibly uncomfortable, but have you ever noticed a pounding headache creeping in along with that nagging tooth pain? You’re not imagining things. There’s a well-documented connection between dental problems and headaches. In this article, we’ll explore the question, can toothache cause headache, the biological link between your teeth and head, and what you can do about it.
Understanding the Link Between Toothaches and Headaches
To understand how a toothache can cause a headache, it helps first to understand how your nerves are connected. The trigeminal nerve is a powerful nerve that serves your face, jaw, and teeth. This nerve plays a major role in detecting sensations in your face and transmitting pain signals to the brain. When there’s inflammation or pressure in this area due to dental pain, it can refer pain to other parts of your head, including the temples or forehead, leading to what feels like a headache caused by a tooth.
What is Referred Pain?
Referred pain is when pain from one part of your body is felt in another. In the case of a toothache and headache, the pain in your jaw or upper teeth may be interpreted by your brain as pain in the head. This is particularly common when the toothache cause is deep, such as a tooth infection, wisdom tooth pressure, or gum disease.
Common Dental Problems That Can Lead to Headaches
Let’s look at some of the dental issues that can cause a headache or trigger headaches.
Tooth Infection or Abscess
An infected tooth, especially one with a dental abscess, can lead to inflammation and pressure buildup. This can cause throbbing pain that radiates to other areas, including your temples and neck. Tooth infections may even lead to facial swelling, jaw pain, and severe headaches if not addressed.
Tooth Decay and Cavities
Untreated tooth decay can lead to deep cavities that irritate the nerves in your teeth. This irritation can stimulate the trigeminal nerve and result in associated headaches, especially if the decay has reached the tooth’s pulp.
Teeth Grinding and TMJ Disorders
Teeth grinding (also called bruxism) can strain the jaw muscles, causing muscle tension and headaches. Over time, this can also contribute to temporomandibular joint disorders (or TMJ disorders), which can result in jaw soreness, clicking or popping in the jaw joint, and TMJ headaches.
Sinus Infections Affecting Upper Teeth
Did you know that your sinus cavities sit just above your upper teeth? When you have a sinus infection, the pressure can push down on your tooth roots, mimicking a toothache cause. At the same time, the infection can cause sinus headaches due to the inflammation. The overlap of symptoms often leads people to confuse toothache-related headaches with sinus headaches or vice versa.
How Dental Pain Travels: The Role of the Trigeminal Nerve
The trigeminal nerve is one of the main cranial nerves responsible for facial sensation. It branches into three parts:
Ophthalmic branch (upper face and scalp)
Maxillary branch (cheeks and upper teeth)
Mandibular branch (lower teeth, jaw joint, and jaw muscles)
When one branch is irritated due to dental problems, the entire nerve can be activated, leading to head pain, radiating pain, or even chronic headaches.
How to Tell If a Toothache Causes Your Headache
It can be tricky to differentiate between a standard tension headache and one caused by dental issues. However, here are some clues:
You feel a throbbing or pulsating pain on one side of your face
The headache is accompanied by tooth sensitivity, jaw discomfort, or a noticeable toothache
The pain gets worse when chewing or biting
You notice gum swelling or signs of a tooth infection
If you experience these symptoms, the root cause of your headache might be dental, not neurological.
Preventing Toothache-Related Headaches
While not all headaches are linked to dental health, many are. Here are steps to prevent toothache-related headaches:
Maintain Good Oral Hygiene
Brush twice a day, floss regularly, and rinse with an antibacterial mouthwash. This helps prevent tooth decay, gum disease, and other dental issues that could lead to pain.
Address Dental Problems Early
Don’t ignore persistent pain, sensitivity, or swelling. Seeking professional dental care at the first sign of a problem can prevent it from developing into something more serious, like a tooth infection.
Get Evaluated for TMJ Disorders
If you often wake up with jaw soreness or have a history of teeth grinding, your dentist may recommend a night guard or other treatment to reduce pressure on your jaw joint.
Manage Sinus Issues
If you’re prone to sinus infections, managing allergies and infections early can help reduce sinus pressure that affects your upper teeth and head.
Schedule Regular Dental Checkups
Seeing your dentist every 6 months can help catch dental problems before they trigger toothache or headache symptoms.
Don’t self-diagnose. While it might seem like just a regular headache, it could be linked to an underlying dental problem.
Take pain relief medication only as directed. Avoid masking the pain with over-the-counter meds without finding out what’s causing it.
Visit your dentist. They can examine your teeth and gums, take X-rays, and determine whether the problem lies in your mouth.
Consider a root canal or other treatments. In cases of advanced tooth decay or tooth infections, your dentist may recommend root canal therapy to relieve pressure and stop the pain at its source.
FAQs
Can a toothache cause a headache on just one side of the head? Yes. If the cause of the toothache is localised, such as a tooth infection or decayed tooth, the pain can travel through the trigeminal nerve and result in a headache on the same side.
Is it possible to have a headache from wisdom tooth pain? Definitely, an impacted wisdom tooth can create pressure and inflammation, leading to toothache and headache symptoms.
Can treating a toothache help stop headaches? Yes. Addressing the root cause of the dental pain often eliminates the associated headache pain as well.
What type of headache is most commonly linked to toothaches? Tension headaches and TMJ headaches are often related to teeth grinding, jaw muscle tension, and dental issues.
Should I see a dentist or a doctor for my headache? If you have signs of dental pain, such as tooth sensitivity, jaw discomfort, or facial pain, it’s wise to start with your dentist. They can help determine if the headache is caused by a toothache or something else.
Final Thoughts
So, can a toothache cause a headache? Absolutely. The connection between your teeth, jaw, and head is closer than most people realise. From dental infections and TMJ disorders to sinus infections and teeth grinding, there are many ways in which a toothache can trigger headaches or even worsen them.
Your best defence? Maintain good oral hygiene, treat dental issues promptly, and visit your dentist regularly. Taking care of your teeth might just be the key to getting rid of that nagging headache.
If you’re experiencing severe toothache along with head pain, do not hesitate to consult with your dentist to find the right solution. Reach out to us at (07) 3132 3783, where our experienced team is ready to assist you with immediate care. Call us today and take the first step towards resolving your dental issues with confidence and ease.
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