Saturday, April 20, 2024

Does A Tooth Infection Cause Headaches

Must read

Dental Issues That Can Cause Earaches

Could headache be due to dental problems? – Dr. Sangeeta Honnur

Dental pain can be deceptive. Common oral health problems, like an abscessed tooth, an impacted wisdom tooth or molar, or even a cavity, can result in an earache. If you grind your teeth or clench your jaw, or have joint issues, like temporomandibular joint disorder or arthritis, you may also experience tightness in the jaw and pain that reaches up to your ears. In fact, many people mistakenly believe that their ear pain is caused by a problem, like an ear infection or wax buildup, only to learn that they actually need to visit the dentist.

Can A Toothache Cause A Sore Throat

A toothache and sore throat, accompanied by other cold or flu symptoms, is likely an earache or sinus infection.

However, when cold and flu symptoms are not otherwise present, a toothache and sore throat may be an indication of:

  • Impacted wisdom teeth
  • Tooth infection

In either case, it is recommended to see a dentist as soon as possible. A toothache that is causing a sore throat is the sign of bacterial growth, often due to poor dental hygiene, a high-sugar diet, or dry mouth due to age or medication.

Surprising Effects Of An Infected Tooth

If youve had an infected tooth in the past, you know how painful it can be. But did you know that an infected tooth can affect your body and your overall health in unexpected ways? Tooth, gum, and mouth problems can cause severe pain and serious complications when left untreated, butnearly half of Americans fail to see their dentist every six months. While its never a smart idea to ignore any pain or infection in your body, an infected tooth can be serious and should always be treated by your dentist immediately, before it becomes a more serious problem. Read on to learn more about the dangers and also the suggested treatment of an infected tooth.

You May Like: Oatmeal Bath For Yeast Infection

Can A Tooth Infection Cause Dizziness

If you had an infected tooth in the past, you understand how painful it can be. But do you know a tooth infection can affect your overall health and body in unexpected ways? When left untreated, gum, tooth, and mouth infections can make you feel lightheaded use your balance to make you feel dizzy. This indicates that the infection has spread and started to affect the nerves, which impacts your balance.

Toothaches are painful conditions that can occur due to various reasons. While most common signs of a tooth abscess include gum tenderness, a sore jaw, swelling, or throbbing pain, other complications may be experienced, including vertigo and headache. Certain conditions and diseases may lead to dizziness when experiencing abscessed tooth pain, as can the adverse effects of specific medications. Dizziness after root canal procedure and extraction of the wisdom tooth are also major culprits.

Can A Tooth Problem Affect Your Eye

Sinus Strain Headache Left Facet

How Do Bad Teeth Affect My Eyes? Not only have researchers found that the overall oral health of your teeth and gums can also affect vision, it can dramatically do so. Based on those findings, the main dental problems that carry over to the eyes include tooth decay, gum disease and teeth with old mercury fillings.

Read Also: Medicine For Kids Ear Infection

Increased Heart And Breathing Rate

Do you notice that your heart starts beating faster than normal? What about your breathing? Do you feel like you’re panting to get enough air?

Both of these are indications that sepsis is beginning to set in. If this happens to you, don’t wait to get in to see your dentist. You need to see a doctor right away.

Can A Tooth Infection Cause Headaches And Dizziness

In rare cases, a serious dental abscess left untreated can cause life-threatening infection. Seek immediate medical care if you, or someone you are with, have any of these life-threatening symptoms including: Difficulty breathing. Dizziness or vertigo.

Read Also: Urinary Tract Infection Blood In Pee

A Tooth Infection Can Lead To Blurred Vision With Headaches

Perhaps you assume that teeth health is overrated and its another marketing strategy by toothpaste companies to have more profit. If you realize that most of us love to eat sweet things, it is no surprise that we need to keep proper dental hygiene to reduce the risk of tooth damage. There are useful articles at https://www.piazzadental.com.au/ about nutrition and tooth damage and how a simple tooth infection can cause face swelling leading to blurred vision with headaches. Sometimes it is not that simple as going to the dentist and have the tooth damage fixed. Swelling, and blurred vision with headaches are the primary effects of a tooth infection.

Swelling: Once bacteria find their way inside the tooth as a result of poor hygiene, they cause an infection. Response of the body to the infection results in the accumulation of pus. The accumulation of puss leads to: Pressure to the tissues. A swelling that can spread to the gums and the face in extreme circumstances. Swelling in the face can lead to blurred vision as the pressure spreads to the eyelids.

A tooth infection might cause problems not only in your mouth, but it can also affect your ears, eyes and throat. Oral hygiene should be a daily routine.

Can Toothache Cause Headache: Abscessed Tooth Pain

Headache and tooth pain ? are they related ?

If you are suffering from a toothache and headache, it is natural to marvel if both symptoms are related. Throbbing pain or swelling in or around your tooth or gum. Usually, abscessed tooth pain is an indication that something is wrong with your gums or tooth. Perhaps your toothache is causing your headache, or both headache and toothache may be an indication of a serious underlying health problem such as a sinus infection. Read on to find out the answer to this question: Can toothache cause headache?

A dental abscess is a pocket of pus forming in various parts of your tooth due to a bacterial infection. This infection can occur due to injury to the mouth, medical complications that impact your immune system, or poor dental hygiene. If a tooth infection is not promptly treated, a patient may also develop a migraine, a throbbing one-sided headache associated with nausea or vomiting. An abscessed tooth can cause moderate to severe pain, which can even radiate to your ear or neck. If left untreated, abscessed tooth pain can graduate into a severe, life-threatening condition. Therefore, an abscessed tooth should instantly be treated by an experienced dentist.

Recommended Reading: How To Heal An Infected Wisdom Tooth

Reasons Why Your Teeth Can Actually Cause A Headache

Having a toothache and a headache at the very same time is undeniably uncomfortable – but it might not be a coincidence that these issues are happening in tandem.

According to Dr. Charles Sutera, DMD, FAGD, a board-certified dental anesthesiologist and aesthetic smile specialist, there are two reasons why your teeth can contribute to headaches.

What you think is a headache might be what’s called referred pain from your teeth.

“The primary nerves that collect sensation of the upper and lower jaw also handle sensation of other parts of the head,” Dr. Sutera says. “Therefore, when there is pain in the teeth, such as from inflammation or infection, the pain can refer along the nerve to other parts of the head.”

Other spots that commonly experience referred pain from the teeth include the area around the eyes and the sides of the head.

If you’re experiencing the dull discomfort or pressure of a tension headache, it could be a sign that there’s an issue with your bite.

“Although it may not be obvious, there are numerous muscles on the sides of the head that function to open and close the mouth,” Dr. Sutera says. When there are issues with the bite, such as a tooth being too tall or issues with the alignment of the top and bottom teeth, it can create strain on the muscles on the head. The muscle tension creates tension headaches.”

Dr. Sutera agrees that speaking with your dentist is key for confirming your toothache/headache link.

Ways To Ease Sore Muscles After Tooth Extraction

  • Short 20 minute or fewer stints with an ice pack can reduce muscle swelling and help with the pain. After placing the ice pack for 20 minutes, give it a 40-minute rest. We dont want to freeze ourselves too much!
  • Some dentists and pharmacists recommend antiinflammatory painkillers but this will change depending on the type of extraction and surgery. Call your Doctor or Dentist for advice before taking or changing anything.
  • You need to eat, but chewy and tough foods are not a good option.
  • Rest, relax, and avoid demanding situations where you need to talk or smile a lot.

Also Check: Zpack For Ear Infection In Adults

What Happens If An Abscess Spreads To Your Brain

Increasing pressure is placed on surrounding brain tissue when an abscess swells. As a result of the abscess, the skull is not flexible, and it cannot expand. The pressure from the abscess blocks blood vessels, preventing oxygen from reaching the brain, and this results in damage or destruction of delicate brain tissue.

Dehydration And Stomach Pain

Pin on tooth care

You may notice that you don’t have to pee very much. And when you do, your urine is a darker color than normal. This means that you’re getting dehydrated and moving into the second stage of sepsis.

You may also begin to experience stomach pain and even diarrhea and vomiting. Both of these symptoms will speed your rate of dehydration and cause even more severe problems.

You May Like: Types Of Antibiotics For Sinus Infection

Are Your Headaches Caused By Dental Health Issues

When you think of what may be causing your headaches, many things may come to mind lack of sleep, stress, poor posture, et cetera. But one reason you may not have considered is that a dental issue may be causing those headaches.

Most people dont expect oral health and headaches to be related. But they often are! Many headaches are caused by problems that can be treated by your dentist.

Jaw and neck pain can trigger head pain, and vice versa. Believe it or not, muscle tension from dental issues can even spread to other areas of your body. For example, if you have mouth pain and so you clench the muscles in your mouth, you may also start clenching the muscles in your neck causing pain there which can extend to your shoulders.

Symptoms Of Tooth Infection Spreading To The Brain

A dental abscess can also travel to the brain, leading to the development of another abscess. If the infection reaches your brain, it can be life-threatening.

Since a brain abscess is so dangerous, the condition requires a visit to the hospital or emergency room for urgent treatment. A brain abscess is relatively rare but can occur if the dental infection is left untreated.

Symptoms of a brain abscess :

  • Fever
  • Going in and out of consciousness

Summary

Dental abscesses can lead to brain abscesses . This is why you should never leave them untreated. Vision changes and body weakness on one side are common with brain abscesses.

Can an Infected Tooth Make You Sick?

Poor oral hygiene and neglected dental care allow the harmful bacteria in your mouth to cause infections. Eventually, an untreated tooth infection can make you sick.

If left untreated, a dental abscess can have serious consequences on your oral health and entire body.

Recommended Reading: Best Abx For Ear Infection

Why Do I Have Toothache And Why It Gets Worse At Nights

Toothache is no ordinary pain. It can be one of the most unpleasant types of pain you can experience. Many people wonder why toothache is so sore. Along with the pain, you may also be dealing with sensitive teeth and difficulty with eating and drinking. Toothache pain is real, its in your head and it can make it hard to go about your day and even think straight.

A lot of tooth pain is caused by inflammation in the pulp or inside part of the tooth. The pulp of each tooth contains lots of nerve endings that are highly sensitive to pain. This can cause the often constant throbbing pain that makes toothache especially unbearable.

You Experience Stomach Pain

What causes headache with sharp pain in both ears? – Dr. Harihara Murthy

You should call your doctor if you, your child, or your infant has a high fever. A high fever is defined as:

  • adults: 103°F or higher
  • children: 102.2°F or higher
  • infants 3 months and older: 102°F or higher
  • infants younger than 3 months: 100.4°F or higher

Get immediate medical attention if the fever is accompanied by:

A tooth becomes infected when bacteria gets into the tooth through a chip, crack, or cavity. Your risk factor for a tooth infection increases if you have:

  • poor dental hygiene, including not brushing your teeth 2 times a day and not flossing
  • a high sugar diet, including eating sweets and drinking soda
  • dry mouth, which is often caused by aging or as a side effect of certain medications

Also Check: Does Macrobid Help Kidney Infections

Common Oral Symptoms Of A Dental Abscess

Symptoms of a dental abscess may worsen over time, may resolve on their own, or may come and go. At times, any of these dental abscess symptoms can be severe. Symptoms may be localized to the mouth or involve the entire body.

Common oral symptoms of a dental abscess include:

  • Bitter taste in the mouth

  • Draining pus

What Do Simultaneous Toothaches And Headaches Mean

If you are suffering from a new headache or toothache, do not ignore the problem but make it a point to see your doctor as soon as possible. Identifying the underlying issue can be tricky even for healthcare providers, and therefore your persistence will help in sorting out the problem. It is recommended that you visit the Wenatchee dentist if you have undergone dental procedures for toothaches without finding relief because it is reasonable to discuss with your primary care provider before visiting a specialist. Your dentist may refer you to a headache specialist, neurologist, or an ENT doctor to have your condition diagnosed.

Ultimately getting to the bottom of your toothache or headache can be challenging and tedious. However, you can rest assured that you can move forward with the treatment plan after being diagnosed by your doctor. The method may be as simple as some antibiotics for a sinus infection or getting a cavity filled. It may also require wearing an occlusal device like a nightguard and other methods to avoid grinding and clenching your teeth.

  • Wednesday8 AM – 5 PM
  • Thursday8 AM – 5 PM
  • Friday8 AM – 5 PM
  • SaturdayBy appointment only

Read Also: What Is The Most Effective Yeast Infection Treatment

Can A Sinus Infection Be Caused By A Tooth

Sinus infections arent fun for anybody. They bring a host of unpleasant symptoms, and are one of the most common infections a person can get. Sometimes we can deal with it on our own, if its more serious, we need antibiotic intervention. Sinuses are finicky, and they can flare up due to allergies, weather changes, and toothaches?

Can My Toothache Go Away On Its Own

Can An Abscessed Tooth Cause A Headache

Some toothaches that come from pain around your tooth can get better without a trip to the dentist. Pain from a temporary irritation in the gum can be resolved within a few days. During this time try not to chew around the affected area. Eat soft foods, like eggs and yogurt, and avoid sweets and very hot or very cold foods if teeth are sensitive.

Recommended Reading: A Person Infected With Hiv May Be Symptom Free For

Headaches And Sinus Pain: Can A Tooth Be The Culprit

Our teeth and sinus cavity have a connection that can affect patients in many ways.

Pressure in the sinus can be awful and cause pain in your eyes, ears, head, and even in your teeth.

The sinus cavity is the area of the skull where air passes through before moving to the lungs. It is here that the air first gets warm and wet. Our body usually can fight bacteria in this air that passes through by producing mucous. Sometimes the bacteria are too strong and when this occurs the bacteria cause infections by growing aggressively.

There are several different sinuses in the body. Only one of them, the maxillary sinus, can cause issues with your teeth. The maxillary sinus is located above your teeth and under your eyes.

The maxillary sinuses sit on either side of your nose. The roots of the upper teeth are located very close to them and there is a lot of communication between these teeth and your sinus.

Often patients come into the office with a horrible toothache that, believe it or not, is caused by a sinus infection. When pressure builds up in the sinus it can cause the teeth to ache, be sore, hurt upon biting down, and be temperature sensitive, especially to the cold.

Keep in mind this does work both ways, as a tooth can be the cause of a bad headache or sinus pressure. Chronic sinus problems may be the result of a serious dental infection that needs treatment.

Call our office at 215-568-6222 so that Dr. Ken Cirka and Dr. Jessica Meier can do a free examination and help you.

When Should I See A Dentist For A Toothache

See your dentist as soon as possible if:

  • You have a toothache that lasts longer than one or two days.
  • Your toothache is severe.
  • You have a fever, earache or pain when you open your mouth wide.
  • You experience swelling in the mouth or face.

The proper diagnosis and treatment of dental infections are important to prevent it from spreading to other parts of the face and skull and possibly even to the bloodstream.

Toothaches can be extremely uncomfortable but the pain isnt permanent as long as its treated. Your dental professional can relieve your pain and prevent any infections in your mouth from spreading in your body.

You May Like: What To Do If You Have A Bad Tooth Infection

More articles

Popular Articles