Can a Toothache Cause a Headache?

The teeth, jaws, face and much of the head are supplied by the same large facial nerve, which splits into branches. Pain signals from a sore tooth travel along it, and the brain does not always pinpoint where they started. This is called referred pain: you feel it somewhere other than the source.

That is why a toothache can feel like a pain at the temple, behind the eye, in the cheek or even in the ear. A deep, throbbing ache from an inflamed nerve is the usual culprit, and the headache tends to be on the same side as the bad tooth.

Another thing to know is that people often point at the wrong tooth. The ache may seem to sit in the upper jaw when the cause is below, or the other way round. An examination and X-ray settle it better than guessing.

Upper back teeth often refer pain to the temple, the cheek and the area around the eye. Lower back teeth tend to refer to the jaw and ear. Front teeth more often cause pain in the forehead or nose region, though the pattern is not fixed.

A tooth headache usually has clues. It is one-sided, it may worsen when you bite or when you have something hot, cold or sweet, and it often eases a little when the tooth is treated. Taking a standard painkiller as directed may blunt it, but it returns when the tablet wears off.

Wisdom teeth are a well known source of head and ear pain. That is covered separately in wisdom tooth headache and ear pain, so this page keeps to teeth in general.

The roots of the upper back teeth sit close to the sinus floor, so the two are often confused. Sinusitis can make several upper teeth ache at once, usually on one side or both, with pressure in the cheeks and forehead, a blocked or runny nose, and pain that gets worse when you bend forward.

A tooth problem is more likely when one tooth is the sore one, when the pain is triggered by biting or by hot and cold, or when there is a visible cavity, a swelling on the gum or a bad taste.

It also works the other way. A tooth infection in the upper jaw can inflame the sinus. If cold and sinus symptoms do not clear in a week or two, or several upper teeth keep aching, it is worth having both a doctor and a dentist look.

Not every tooth-region headache comes from a diseased tooth. Clenching and grinding overwork the jaw muscles, which run up to the temple, so you can wake with a dull headache at the sides of the head and a tired jaw, and teeth that feel sore or sensitive for no clear reason.

Problems of the jaw joint itself can give the same picture, often with clicking or difficulty opening wide. Our jaw pain page explains these, and why gentle measures come before anything permanent.

If grinding is the cause, a night guard may help protect the teeth and ease the strain. Whether you need one is covered in night guard for teeth grinding.

The dentist will ask where the pain is, what sets it off, how long it lasts, and whether it is worse at night or on waking. They will test the teeth with cold and with gentle tapping or biting, look at the gums, and take an X-ray to see decay, cracks and infection at the root.

They will also feel the jaw muscles and joint, and check for wear from grinding. If the teeth are healthy, they will say so, and point you to a doctor for sinus or other causes. Ruling a tooth out is a useful answer.

Treating a tooth cause, whether that is a filling, a root canal or an extraction, usually settles the headache that came from it. The causes and treatments are set out on the toothache page.

Seek care the same day if a tooth headache comes with swelling of the face or jaw, fever, or a bad taste with discharge from the gum. Go to a hospital emergency department if you have difficulty swallowing, opening your mouth or breathing.

A sudden, severe headache that is unlike any you have had, a headache with confusion, weakness, a stiff neck, vision changes or numbness of the face, or one that follows a blow to the head is not a dental problem until proven otherwise. Get medical help straight away.

For everyday relief, the painkiller guide covers sensible options and who should avoid them.