Dental Health Dental Conditions The Possible Link Between Your Headache and Your Toothache By Colleen Doherty, MD Colleen Doherty, MD, is a board-certified internist living with multiple sclerosis. Learn about our editorial process Colleen Doherty, MD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Sumaya Ibraheem, DDS on May 10, 2020 linkedin Sumaya Ibraheem, DDS, is a general dentist practicing in New York, and a member of the American Dental Association and New York State Dental Association. Learn about our Medical Review Board Sumaya Ibraheem, DDS on May 10, 2020 Print Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Triggering Migraine Referred Tooth Pain Underlying Problems When to See Your Doctor If you are suffering from both a headache and a toothache, it's natural to wonder if the two symptoms are related. Perhaps your toothache is triggering your headache, or perhaps the combination of your headache and toothache indicates an underlying health problem like a sinus infection or temporomandibular joint dysfunction. Let's dive deeper into some possible headache and toothaches connections, and what this may mean for your care. Toothache Triggering a Migraine There are many culprits behind an aching tooth such as cavities, cracked teeth, or impacted wisdom teeth, to name a few. If these conditions are left untreated, a person may also develop a migraine—a throbbing, often one-sided headache that can be associated with nausea, vomiting, and/or sensitivity to light or sound. Ellen Lindner / Verywell Experts suspect that the way toothaches cause migraines is linked to the trigeminal nerve, which is the fifth of 12 cranial nerves. The trigeminal nerve provides sensation to most of your face, including your upper and lower lip, teeth, and gums. Since the trigeminal nerve is believed to play a significant role in migraine pathogenesis, it makes sense that an underlying dental condition could irritate the supplying trigeminal nerve branch and thus, trigger a migraine. Migraines Referred Tooth Pain to Your Head In addition to a toothache triggering a migraine, tooth decay or advanced gum disease can "refer" pain to the head. Referred pain means that you feel a painful sensation in a separate area of your body from the body part actually causing the pain. Again, this is due to the many nerve connections (via the trigeminal nerve) that connect the teeth and other facial structures to the brain. It's not uncommon for a person to go see their doctor for tension-type headaches or migraines when they really are experiencing a dental problem. Bruxism One classic example of referred pain to the head (from the teeth) is bruxism, whereby people clench or grind their teeth. This often occurs at night. The headache resulting from bruxism is generally reported as a dull pain that wraps around the head or occurs behind the eyes. Sore teeth and jaw muscles, as well as clicking in the jaw joint or trouble opening and closing the mouth, is also common with this condition. What You Need to Know About Bruxism Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis Very rarely, an untreated dental condition may cause a serious, life-threatening infection called cavernous sinus thrombosis, which causes a severe headache, often felt behind the eye or on the forehead. In addition to a severe headache, other symptoms of cavernous sinus thrombosis include: High feverA weakness of the eye movement (from third, fourth, and/or sixth cranial nerve involvement)Eyelid swellingEyeball protrusion (called proptosis) Underlying Health Problems There are some conditions that may cause both a headache and toothache, but are not actually related to a dental or primary headache disorder (such as migraine or tension-type headache). Sinus Infection A sinus infection may cause discomfort from one or several teeth, especially your upper teeth since they are located right below the maxillary sinus (located behind your cheekbones). In addition to teeth pain, a headache that is localized to the affected sinus cavity and worse when bending forward is a common symptom of a sinus infection. Other signs and symptoms of sinus infection include: FeverFatigueNasal congestion and purulent (pus-containing) dischargeEar pressure or fullnessBad breath Sinus Infection Symptoms and Complications Temporomandibular Joint Disorder Temporomandibular joint (TMJ or TMD) disorder, which refers to a problem within the jaw joint (located in front of your ear) and the muscles surrounding it, is another condition that dentists commonly see, as it often cause toothaches. Besides toothaches, TMJ often causes headaches, usually described as an aching pain that starts near the ear and moves towards the jaw, temple, or neck. These headaches are usually triggered by jaw motions, like chewing or opening and closing the mouth. Is TMJ Behind Your Jaw Pain? Trigeminal Neuralgia Trigeminal neuralgia is a pain disorder characterized by irritation of the trigeminal nerve. This disorder causes excruciating stabbing or shock-like facial pain that is nearly always one-sided. In many cases, the pain is felt along the upper or lower jaw, which is why people sometimes see their dentist first, believing they are suffering from an abscessed tooth. In fact, it's not uncommon for a person to undergo one or more unnecessary root canals or tooth extractions before receiving the diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia. Trigeminal Neuralgia Overview and More When to See Your Doctor If you are suffering from a new toothache and/or headache, be sure to see your doctor. Sorting out the underlying diagnosis can be a tricky process, even for healthcare providers, so remain persistent. For instance, if you have undergone dental procedures for toothaches and not obtained relief, it's reasonable to talk to your primary care doctor about seeing a specialist, such as a headache specialist, neurologist, or ear, nose, and throat doctor. A Word From Verywell In the end, getting to the bottom of your tooth and/or head pain can be a tedious, challenging process. Be reassured though—once diagnosed, you can move forward with a treatment plan. That plan may be as simple as getting a cavity filled or taking an antibiotic for a sinus infection or more complex (but doable), as wearing a nightguard and practicing trigger avoidance for bruxism. Is Your Tooth Pain Sinusitis? Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Nixdorf DR, Velly AM, Alonso AA. Neurovascular pains: implications of migraine for the oral and maxillofacial surgeon. Oral Maxillofac Surg Clin North Am. 2008;20(2):221-35, vi-vii. doi:10.1016/j.coms.2007.12.008 Noseda R, Burstein R. Migraine pathophysiology: anatomy of the trigeminovascular pathway and associated neurological symptoms, CSD, sensitization and modulation of pain. Pain. 2013;154 Suppl 1. doi:10.1016/j.pain.2013.07.021 Renton T, Wilson NH. Understanding and managing dental and orofacial pain in general practice. Br J Gen Pract. 2016;66(646):236-7. doi:10.3399/bjgp16X684901 Van der meer HA, Speksnijder CM, Engelbert RHH, Lobbezoo F, Nijhuis-van der sanden MWG, Visscher CM. The association between headaches and temporomandibular disorders is confounded by bruxism and somatic symptoms. Clin J Pain. 2017;33(9):835-843. doi:10.1097/AJP.0000000000000470 Yeo GS, Kim HY, Kim H, et al. Cavernous sinus thrombosis caused by a dental infection: a case report. J Korean Assoc Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2014;40(4):195-8. doi:10.5125/jkaoms.2014.40.4.195 Little RE, Long CM, Loehrl TA, Poetker DM. Odontogenic sinusitis: a review of the current literature. Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2018;3(2):110-114. doi:10.1002/lio2.147 Kim SG. Clinical treatment for symptoms associated with temporomandibular disorder. J Korean Assoc Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2014;40(4):153-4. doi:10.5125/jkaoms.2014.40.4.153 Maarbjerg S, Di stefano G, Bendtsen L, Cruccu G. Trigeminal neuralgia - diagnosis and treatment. Cephalalgia. 2017;37(7):648-657. doi:10.1177/0333102416687280 Additional Reading American Dental Association. (n.d.). Teeth Grinding. Garrity J. (2017). Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis. Renton T. Dental (Odontogenic) Pain. Rev Pain. 2011 Mar;5(1):2-7. doi:10.1177/204946371100500102 Weinberg MA, Gopinathan G. Recognition and treatment of migraine patient in dental practice. N Y State Dent J. 2009 Mar;75(2):28-33.