Do you ever get a headache or neck pain and can’t seem to figure out why? It could be that you have a bad tooth. Believe it or not, teeth can cause all sorts of problems in other parts of your body. So if you’re experiencing any unusual pain, see your dentist to find out if there’s a dental issue causing it. You may be surprised at the answer!
A bad tooth can generate moderate to severe pain that can spread to your neck. Abscessed tooth discomfort can progress to an extreme, life-threatening situation if it remains unattended. Tooth infections can make you feel lightheaded and nauseous if left unchecked.
Let us look more closely at a few of the close associations between headaches and toothaches, and what this means for your treatment. We’ll explore the connection between dental health and headache and neck pain, and we’ll give you some tips on how to find relief. Thanks for reading!
How Can You Tell if a Tooth is Causing a Headache?
Head and neck pain can be caused by a variety of factors. Your teeth generally work in pairs — upper and lower. Bad teeth, as well as teeth that are misaligned or malformed, throw off the equilibrium of your bite, putting a lot of strain on your jaw joints. Excessive strain irritates the joints over time, creating inflammation. Also uncomfortable and sore are the muscles that regulate your jaw movements. As your jaw tries to bring your teeth back into proper alignment, you may develop a clenching or grinding habit. When you’re stressed, you could clench your jaw all through the day. One scenario is that you tighten your jaw or grit your teeth.
How Can You Tell if a Tooth Infection Has Spread?
Tooth infections can be caused by a variety of factors. Previous cavity fillings are among the most typical causes. A root canal is a procedure in which a dentist removes nerves from a damaged tooth. Infections can thrive in that location, resulting in an illness that your body fights to resist.
- Severe Pain
The infection or abscess spreads from the root tip, causing damage to the gums and bone. Quite often the searing pain and pulsing are so intense that pain relievers are ineffective. That might be because the bacteria has progressed and the gums and bones are under increased strain.
- Swelling
A small amount of swelling in your face is a common sign of an abscess. However, if the pain persists or you are unable to visit your dentist, go to the nearest emergency room. It can start to compromise your breathing and digestion if left untreated.
- Urine Infection and Stomach Pain
You realize that you don’t need to urinate as much as you used to. When you do, you’ll notice that your urine is a deeper hue than usual. You may also develop stomach pains, as well as gastrointestinal problems. Some of these indications will hasten dehydration and result in even more serious issues.
- Discoloration
This could appear as if the tooth has been injured. As the tooth decays and the nerve dies, the discoloration will become more noticeable.
- Bad Food Taste
Infection is the most prevalent cause of unpleasant taste in your mouth and is completely unconnected to your diet. You will most likely detect a terrible taste if you have an abscess that is draining into your mouth or if you have an infection in your gums or jawbone.
- Fever
A rising body temperature creates an alarming situation for many germs that cause infection. As a result, your body is working to exterminate the aggressors.
- Puffy Gums
Your gums may bulge in one place for a variety of causes, including poor oral hygiene, gingivitis, or an infection.
- Bad Mouth Odor
Your breath may stink like molding tissue if you have an abscess or infection in your mouth, throat, or lungs.
- Tooth Sensitivity
Sensitivity could be a sign of dental decay (a cavity). A sluggish discomfort accompanied by intense or tingling pain could signify a dental infection or a sinus infection.
- Ear Pain
Your ears are closely linked to your teeth, jaw, and gums. As a result, ear pain could be a sign of tooth disease. This explains why keeping good oral health is so important for your overall well-being. You may notice that getting regular thorough cleaning or remedial treatments lessens the occurrence of earache.
Can Bad Teeth Cause Head Problems?
Irritated teeth can be caused by a variety of factors, including obstructed wisdom teeth, broken teeth, and caries, to name a few. If these diseases are not treated, a patient may get a migraine (a one-sided intense headache that causes nausea and vomiting). Your face, especially your lower and upper hip, gums, and teeth, are all served by this nerve. Given that the trigeminal nerve is thought to play a key part in migraine pathogenesis, it’s reasonable to assume that an underlying tooth infection could affect the nerve branch, resulting in a headache.
How Do You Get Rid of a Dental Headache?
Although abscesses are not common, they’re often serious. They’re not something you should try to cure on your own. Because they have the ability to spread throughout your body and cause a slew of problems, they should be avoided. If your tooth pain is severe or the result of a serious medical issue, make an appointment with your dentist to get it appropriately handled. Furthermore, to avoid tooth infections or decay, you must practice basic dental hygiene. You have various options if you feel your tooth is infected. One option is to do a root canal to save the tooth. Doctors may be able to re-treat the infected tooth and eliminate the infection even if it is the product of an old root canal. Specialists can also conduct a surgical resection to eliminate the infection and prevent it from coming back.
How Do I Know if My Tooth Infection is Serious?
Untreated dental root infestations may spread throughout the body, resulting in severe health issues. Our teeth and gums may be a little part of our bodies, but they, like other components, have an impact on our general health. When disease-causing bacteria from an infected tooth enter the bloodstream, it can cause a variety of health problems. When bacteria invade our bodies, our bodies respond in different ways. The inflammation of your bone marrow or bone caused by an infection that spread via your circulation is known as osteomyelitis.
A tooth that appears to be fine but is painful could be hiding a dental problem behind the gums, such as a root infection. you will want to address your dental decay and chipped or fractured tooth as soon as possible, you can avoid other health complications in the future.
