How to Know if My Tooth is Causing Ear Pain?

Bad dental hygiene affects more than just smiles. Oral conditions that stay for the long term can travel to other body organs and can result in serious illnesses. Ear and tooth pain is the worst pain type that an individual can experience.

Our gums, jaws, and teeth are connected to the ears. That is why it is essential to take proper dental care for an improved quality of life. When identifying the cause of ear pain, the Mesa dentist will evaluate your mouth, consider your medical history and discuss your signs.

How a Tooth Pain Causes Ear Pain?

Human teeth are located close to the ear. The essential face nerve- trigeminal runs from the lower and upper jaw, into the head, and around the jaw joint to link the spinal column. Tooth pain can send pain signals to other body regions, including the face, neck, or head. It is the main reason why toothache causes ear pain.

Signs Your Tooth is Causing Earache

If you have the following issues, it signifies that your ear pain is due to the following oral health problems:

Bruxism

If you do teeth grinding most often, it can be the cause of ear pain. It can also lead to other issues like tinnitus, damage to teeth, etc. Since TMJ joints stay close to the inner and middle ear, any issue that occurs in the jawbone can spread to the ears.

The dental expert at the dentist office near you treats teeth grinding and clenching by suggesting wearing a night guard or bite splint to minimize muscle stress. Sometimes, the dentist advises botox therapy.

TMJ Disorder

Around 10 million people in America have a TMJ disorder. It occurs when the temporomandibular joints are not aligned properly. TMJ usually links the lower jawbone to the skull. It allows the jaw to move side to side and up and down to make talking and eating easier.

Patients also experience worn-down teeth, jaw pain, facial discomfort, blocked sensation in the ear, popping of the jaw, etc. Dentists mainly treat TMJ disorders associated with bruxism or bite alignment issues. Our dental professional treats the underlying cause of TMJ disorder to ease jaw discomfort and ear pain symptoms.

Impacted Tooth Roots

An infected tooth significantly affects your life. The pain from the infected tooth root may not limit to the tooth itself. The nerves that send pain signals to and from the teeth run via the jaw. The pain can also cause acute earache. The dentist fixes this issue by performing a root canal.

He/she eliminates the infected tooth nerve tissue to eliminate the bacteria that might spread to other body parts. Proper diagnosis of the cause of ear pain usually needs assistance from the experienced dentist at U Smile Family Dentistry. Your signs may signify dental health issues that might need dental restorative treatments.

Poor Alignment of Bite

Even slight jaw misalignment can cause stress and ache. It can move towards the ear and cause pain. The dentist near you fixes poor bite alignment using cosmetic or restorative dental treatment.

Periodontal Disease or Cavities

Another dental problem to cause ear pain is linked to infected molars. For example, if you have serious gum disease or severe tooth decay, the tooth pain can radiate to the ears. For cavities, the dentist usually recommends a dental filling. The expert recommends in-depth cleaning of the mouth or other gum therapy for addressing periodontitis.

Dental Abscess

If you have a dental abscess, you can also experience ear pain. The condition is extremely painful. You might have a soft spot in and around your teeth or gums swelling. A dental abscess is caused by a bacterial infection and needs assistance from the dentist as soon as possible.

It’s because they can even spread to other areas, including the ears. Abscessed teeth usually require root canals to save them. More severe stages of these oral infections might need tooth pulling.

Jaw Injuries

If you spot jaw or ear pain immediately after an accident, head blow, or a fall, get medical treatment immediately to address your jaw injury. Sprain or strain in the surrounding jaw muscles or a broken jaw could lead to jaw ache. This pain can also move to the ear and cause discomfort.