Can a toothache cause headaches?

A toothache can cause dizziness, ear pain, but can a toothache cause headaches? Not just a minor headache, it can go up to a migraine if an issue goes untreated. There are several oral conditions that can originate or cause headaches, the following are the most common:

• an impacted wisdom tooth
• a cracked teeth
• cavities
• sinus infections
• dental infection
• TMJ misalignment

Reasons why a dental tooth problem causes pain

The main reason a toothache causes headaches is due to a connection of one of the largest nerves in the head, the trigeminal nerve. The nerve connection can cause pain from most toothaches, jaw tightening, and muscle clenching of the mouth.

If you have a toothache and only after this toothache you are starting to have constant headaches you are probably wondering, can a toothache cause headaches? The answer is yes, and the most common reasons are the following:

• Deep unexposed tooth decay: This is when decay goes deep into the nerve, but the tooth does not suffer from a fracture or a cavity formation on the outer surface of your teeth. The decay causes nerve damage by infecting it, and an infected nerve forms gases due to bacteria proliferating in the inner core of your tooth. These bacteria create gases and inflammation of the tooth ligaments and their surrounding structures.
• Occlusal Traumas: The most common occlusal traumas are bruxism and teeth grinding. The force applied to your teeth ligaments caused by tightening, tensing, and grinding is too strong, causes inflammation on your nerve ligaments and their surroundings, and by consequence pain and discomfort appear. Occlusal traumas cause pressure in the temporomandibular joint and as well as the nerve ligaments, this jaw joint has nerve ramifications that go all over your neck and head, making it a normal reason why headaches can be related to occlusal trauma.
• Malocclusion: Some of the most common conditions in malocclusions are prognathism and crossbite. These conditions cause alterations in the alignment in the temporomandibular joint, and this joint is connected to nerve ramifications that run from your head to your neck, there is a correlation with headache and dental issues.

Leave the guesswork and seek professional help

There are so many pain disorders, for example, Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS), and orofacial pain conditions such as Temporomandibular pain, and dysfunction disorders that may present as headaches. Other issues can be presented as a musculoskeletal disorder that affects chewing muscles and cervical muscles making it hard to just pinpoint one solution.

Various neurovascular disorders cause headaches and vascular pains, mimicking a medical condition like a joint disorder or a blood clot.

Next time you are wondering “can a toothache cause headaches” make sure you book an appointment with our dentists in Tijuana to make a complete comprehensive oral evaluation and x-rays to determine if these migraines or headaches can be related to something dental.

If you feel like you can handle mild pain or discomfort, remember you should seek treatment as soon as possible before the problem becomes bigger and unexpected strong pain gives you an unpleasant surprise. Contact our specialized dentists in Tijuana today for more information on dental treatment for TMJ disorders or any other oral conditions.