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Brush twice a day! Don’t eat chocolates before bed! Rinse your mouth after eating something sweet! And the list goes on and on. And all of this to avoid cavities, but did you unfortunately still get them, along with an add-on of headaches? Then read on for some guidance!
Can Cavities Cause Headaches?
Delving straight to the question, can cavities cause headaches? The answer is yes, tooth pain and cavities can cause headaches directly and indirectly.
However, if you are going through tooth pain and headache simultaneously, it might indicate a serious health problem such as a sinus infection.
The pain and discomfort of your tooth can cause migraines and headaches. However, mild and moderate cavities might not have symptoms at all.
The more advanced tooth decay and cavities can cause headaches, advanced pain can also cause pain in your jaw.
It is common for people suffering from migraine, stroke, diabetes, and jaw pain to have gingivitis1, periodontitis2, or other oral infections.
Cavities Triggering Migraines
Have you ever thought, ‘Can cavities cause headaches?’ and ‘Why do toothaches and headaches have an impact together?’ Cavities and toothache can cause migraines in case of the effect of your wisdom tooth, crack in the teeth. When these issues are not treated on time, they may cause migraines.
The pain can be felt in the mouth and jaw. The human body and skull have two temporomandibular joints connected with the sides of the jaw and the skull.
These temporomandibular joints help the person to yawn, eat, and speak. Pain that starts in those joints or the muscles around them can travel to your skull and lead to a migraine.
Can Cavities or Toothache Cause Ear Pain?
Toothache due to cavities also causes ear pain. It can wreak havoc on your daily schedule, which is not aligned with your day-to-day activities.
But there are questions that you must be delving into, such as can cavities cause headaches? Can cavities cause ear pain? Is there any sensation in the nerves?
Let me tell you that your nose, throat, and ears are connected via a delicate network of passageways, canals, and tubes.
Teeth, jaws, and gums are inextricably connected to the ears. Hence ear pain could be an indication of a dental problem. This is the only reason why diagnosing a problem in these areas calls for assessment for others.
Maintaining your dental hygiene may provide you with relief from ear pain. If you seek relief from ear pain triggered by dental issues, you must schedule an appointment with an experienced dentist today.
Underlying Health Issues
There are some conditions in which health issues, headaches, and toothaches go together simultaneously.
1 Temporomandibular Disorder (TMJ): A joint disorder that deals with the jaw joint located in front of the ear and the muscles surrounding it. It is a condition mostly treated by the dentist, as it may lead to toothaches.
TMJ disorder can cause headaches, mostly described as aching pain beginning near the ear and moving toward the jaw, neck, or temple region.
2. Trigeminal Neuralgia: The disorder that irritates the trigeminal nerve results in the formation of a disorder known as Trigeminal Neuralgia. In this condition, there is an excruciating shock-like facial pain on one side of the face.
In most cases, the pain is felt in both the upper and the lower parts of the jaw, which is one of the reasons why people visit their dentist initially to understand whether they are suffering from an abscessed tooth.
During this process, it is quite normal that the patient has to go through the root canal and extraction operation before they receive a diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia3.
Different Causes that Lead to Cavities
Several things cause jaw pain, and one thing possibly is that you might clench your teeth throughout the day may be due to stress or tension, which can trigger severe pain in your teeth.
Signs and symptoms that indicate that you clench your jaw or grind your teeth are:
- Your teeth are flat, chipped, and loose.
- Your jaw feels tight or rigid.
- Teeth are too sensitive.
- You have soreness in your jaw.
- You have an earache, but there’s no problem with your ears.
How to Get Rid of Cavities?
Can cavities be treated at home? Can cavities cause headaches? Let me first tell you that cavities are the small holes in teeth that are caused due to the buildup of food and bacteria.
Several home remedies prevent teeth from cavities and headaches. However, home remedies will help you strengthen your teeth 4from the roots and tooth enamel at the pre-cavity stage.
This process is known as remineralizing, and it prevents a cavity from forming.
Using fluoride toothpaste, brushing your teeth twice a day is a tried-and-tested way to remineralize tooth enamel and prevent cavities.
Some people prefer going with the basic home remedies for the treatment of cavities. These basic home remedies are:
1. Oil Pulling:
An ancient system method, it is an alternative treatment and medicine for treating cavities recommended in Ayurveda. It involves swishing a tablespoon of sesame or coconut oil around in the mouth for a prescribed period, then spitting it out.
2. Aloe Vera:
An aloe vera tooth gel may be used to kill the bacteria that cause cavities. The gel contains an antibacterial effect that is useful in killing the harmful germs in the mouth.
3. Avoid Phytic Acid:
Phytic acid may harm and damage the tooth enamel. Phytic acid can absorb more minerals from the food. It is commonly found in cereals and legumes that include: rice, maize, wheat, rye, and kidney bean.
4. Avoid Sugary Foods and Drinks:
Thinking about how sugar can cause cavities and how can cavities cause headaches? Consumption of sugar is among the leading causes of cavities.
Sugar mixes with bacteria in the mouth and forms an acid, which wears down tooth enamel.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can a cavity give you a headache?
As a result of the sensitive connections of nerve endings, an inflamed tooth can trigger pain to radiate to other parts of the skull.
2. How do you stop a cavity headache?
The muscles in the forehead, face, and jaw can be gently massaged to release stress and stop dental headaches. But seeking a dentist is recommended.
3. What does a dental headache feel like?
The trigeminal nerve, which runs through the tooth’s nerve pulp, may spread pain from that location to other areas of the head, giving them a headache that resembles a tension headache.
Conclusion
Can cavities cause headaches? Yes, it can cause headaches and migraines. If you suspect that your headache or migraine could be a result of oral issues, contact your dentist right away.
For more health articles, stay tuned with Icy Health!
- Page, Roy C. “Gingivitis.” Journal of Clinical Periodontology 13.5 (1986): 345-355. ↩︎
- Flemmig, Thomas F. “Periodontitis.” Annals of periodontology 4.1 (1999): 32-37. ↩︎
- Ramfjord, Sigurd P. “Maintenance care for treated periodontitis patients.” Journal of clinical periodontology 14.8 (1987): 433-437. ↩︎
- Kangas, Katie. “5 Ways To Strengthen Your Dog’s Teeth.” ↩︎
Last Updated on by ayeshayusuf
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