If you are experiencing tooth pain and headache at once, you’re probably wondering which one is the cause and which is just a side effect. There could be various reasons why you are suffering from these two, but in some cases, an underlying health condition is the root cause. Sometimes, it’s also an after-effect of dental treatment, just like pain after a root canal procedure. Woonona Dentist’s Wollongong-based clinics can help you with this issue. Just click on the link to learn more.
Dental Pain And Migraine
To understand more, let us discuss the possible reasons why tooth pain and headache typically occur together, starting with a migraine caused by tooth pain. There are several reasons why tooth pain occurs, cavities, damaged teeth, or impacted wisdom teeth could all be the source of pain.
If the mentioned conditions are neglected, a migraine might follow. Migraine is a throbbing headache in specific sides of the head that comes with vomiting, nausea, and, sounds and light sensitivity.
How does it happen? According to experts, the headache caused by tooth pain is due to the role played by the trigeminal nerve. This nerve is responsible for the feelings in your face, including the gums, teeth, and lips.
Because of its characteristics, it’s possible that the trigeminal nerve gets aggravated during tooth pain and eventually causes a headache.
Treatment
If the pain is starting to get hard to deal with, here are some of the things that you may consider to alleviate the discomfort:
- OTC pain relievers
- sleep in a dark and quiet room
- eat even though you do not feel hungry
- get some rest if you feel sick
- get a prescription for migraines
- try acupuncture
You may also opt to try some remedies such as drinking plenty of water, limited alcohol consumption, and getting enough sleep every day.
Designated Headache Due to Tooth Pain
In addition to tooth pain causing headaches due to the roles played by the trigeminal nerve, periodontitis can also designate pain in the head.
Designated pain is when you feel pain at a particular body part and pain at a different part at the same time. More like the body pain you feel whenever you have a sore throat. Once more, this is because of the interconnected nerves in our body.
Several Teeth Conditions
Your dental health could also be responsible for the headache that you are experiencing. Tooth decay, damaged crowns and bridges, tooth abscess, fractures, gum infection are some of the few things to watch out for when experiencing tooth pain and headache.
Some home remedies might help reduce the discomfort brought by the symptoms such as;
- saltwater rinse
- cold compress
- ibuprofen
- ice pack
- aspirins
Yet, don’t forget to set an appointment with your dentist. Here are some of the treatments that they use:
- Root canal treatment. The root canal treatment is an endodontic procedure where the dentist diminishes the bacteria from an infected root canal. During the procedure, the pulp will be removed, the inside of the tooth will be cleaned, and sealed afterwards.
- Tooth extraction. If the decay and infection are too severe, the dentist might recommend pulling the tooth to save the remaining teeth from damages.
- Dental fillings. In cases where tooth pain is caused by cavities, a dental filling will do the trick.
- Bridges and crowns. To guarantee that the treated tooth will stay durable and functional, crowns and bridges might follow after the root canal treatment.
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Teeth Grinding
One of the many reasons why tooth pain and headache take place together is due to Bruxism, or also known as teeth grinding. This is a condition where the individual clenches or grinds their teeth (often unconsciously). Bruxism mostly happens at night while the person is asleep.
The headache that occurs after teeth grinding is described by most people as tedious pain that covers the entire head. Sometimes, the pain takes place right behind the eyes as well.
Other effects of bruxism are:
- muscle pain in the face
- sinus and ear pains
- neck and shoulder stiffness
- restricted opening of the mouth
- distracted sleep
- broken teeth and dental appliance
- gum inflammation
- gum recession
- tongue scalloping
Bruxism treatment
Bruxism can be managed in several methods. But the most common treatment for it is by using dental splints. These are appliances that are placed in the teeth to protect them from damages caused by grinding.
Therapies are also a huge help in managing bruxism. In fact, dentists are recommending treatments with physiotherapists and chiropractors together with a dental approach.
Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis
It’s important to take your headache seriously as it probably indicates a life-threatening condition such as Cavernous sinus thrombosis. This occurs when there is a blood clot in the cavernous sinuses. The headache caused by this condition is often unbearable and takes place in the forehead or at the back of the eyes.
Some of its signs include the following:
- a very high fever
- slow and weak movements of the eyes
- swollen eyelids
- proptosis or eyeball protrusion
Treatment options
Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis is treated in hospital settings. For close monitoring, you will even be assigned to ICU and here’s how the treatment will conclude:
- Using antibiotics to treat bacterial infections. If there are no signs of bacteria, antibiotics will be stopped immediately.
- Prescribing anticoagulants to dissolve the developed clots and prevent them from progressing.
- Steroid medication to alleviate inflammation.
- Removing the pus from the sinus through surgery.
Serious Health Conditions
For some people, neither tooth pain nor headache is the main cause of your discomfort. As a matter of fact, they are just both side effects of a certain health condition that needs to be addressed immediately. Visit your GP as soon as possible if you feel that your health is deteriorating.
Sinusitis
Sinusitis is the inflammation of the tissues along the sinus area. Our sinuses are meant to be filled with air only, but if it gets obstructed with liquid, a bacterial infection could develop. Due to its close location to the mouth, sinusitis can also cause pain in the upper teeth. It is also common to experience headaches when a sinus infection is present, the headache typically gets worse if the person makes a movement like bending forward.
Aside from tooth pain and headache, a sinus infection could also cause the following symptoms:
- bad breath
- fatigue
- fever
- nasal congestion
- full ears
TMJ or Temporomandibular Joint Disorder
The temporomandibular joint disorder is a condition where the muscles of the jaw are injured or inflamed. It commonly causes pain in the jaw and the muscles that control its movements. Oftentimes, TMJ disorders are diagnosed by dentists due to one of its significant symptoms, toothache.
Moreover, TMJ disorders also cause headaches that begin from behind the ear and progress going to the jaw, neck, and temple, The headaches are typically triggered when the jaws are making movements like chewing and when the mouth opens.
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Trigeminal Neuralgia occurs when the trigeminal nerve is irritated. This pain disorder comes with staggering pain in the face that is often on one side only. Most patients with trigeminal neuralgia feel pain in the upper or lower jaw, that is why dentists are often the first ones to detect it. Due to this, there are a number of unneeded root canal treatments done in the belief that the patient is suffering from a tooth abscess.
If symptoms persist despite taking anti-inflammatory medicines, it’s best to talk to your St Leonards dentist or doctor right away. Some of these conditions could pose great risk and complications if untreated. Your overall health should be one of your top priorities above anything else.