Did you know, 24.92 is the average amount of remaining teeth in adults, according to a survey conducted by NIH. And by the time most adults hit 65, there are no permanent teeth at all. Shocking, isn’t it?
A bad tooth is the leading cause of tooth decay, which ultimately results in permanent loss of teeth. But can a Bad tooth cause an ear infection? And the answer is negative.
As it’s been said, tooth decay is not an easy and painless process to suffer with. Plus, it is very confusing to localize the pain, whether it originates from the ear or the tooth. Which leads us to answer the highlighted question that is: Can a toothache cause an earache? And sadly, it can!
Toothache and ear pain on the same side, occurring at the same time is a matter of concern, only when the pain is chronic. This means that the On and Off tooth and ear pain can be resolved by OTC drugs and also by topically using a damp cloth.
However, there is a lot to know about how a toothache can cause ear pain before jumping to the conclusion. So it’s time to discuss the causes, symptoms, and treatment of toothache and earache. Let’s dive in!
Toothache and Earache
Both these terms are concerned with different parts of the face, yet they are interrelated, and here’s why:
Toothache
Toothache is the term that describes the pain in gums, teeth, or jaws. It feels like a throbbing and stinging pain occurring after dental caries. The people with highly-sensitive teeth would know that feeling.
Following are the commonest causes of a toothache:
- Bruxism or clenching of the teeth while you are asleep. This is how you get tooth pain in the jaw and ear.
- TMJ disorder: when you get a toothache, jaw pain, and earache at the same time.
- Trauma to the jaw
- Any infection in the oral cavity
Earache
Many causes can result in severe ear pain. Some of them are as follows:
- Ear pain from tooth
- Wax stuck in the Ear
- Ear pain after root canal
- An infection in the ear
Commonest Complains of Earache and Toothache
Let’s highlight the most common complaints by the patients and see if you can relate with any of them.
Toothache and earache at the same time
Toothache and earache at the same time mostly occur due to problems in your jaws or tooth. Several issues like infections, stress to the jaw, or any internal and external trauma results in the sharp pain that is referred to your respective ear as well.
If you only have an earache with no toothache, chances are the primary cause is the infection in your Ear, independent of any tooth problem.
However, the pain originating from the tooth comes and goes from time to time, and it is usually permanent when the infection arises from your ear. This might result in a chronic state of disease and would demand a regular visit to your doctor.
Sore throat leading to Toothache and Ear pain
Have you ever wondered why you get pain in your ear while you have the flu or sore throat?
Well, it’s because of a small tube that connects your middle ear to the pharynx (the part of the respiratory system behind the nose and tongue)
This pathway provides an easy passage for the infection to travel from one part to the other. And because the same trigeminal nerve is supplying both the parts; you feel pain in both areas, a medical phenomenon known as referred pain.
Can wisdom teeth cause ear pain?
Wisdom teeth, as we know, grow in the later years of life. Unlike the rest of the molar tooth, this set of teeth is an area of major concern in dentistry.
These specialized teeth need their space in the oral cavity as they begin to grow. Now, a wisdom tooth might damage the molars surrounding it during its growth, or it can get infected itself. This would disrupt the Normal health of the mouth, and the gums would become prone to infection.
So as we already mentioned, any stress or injury to the tooth is followed by ear pain. Which, in simple words, means that wisdom teeth during their growth can lead to awful earache. And the only solution to avoid getting infected is to take proper care of oral hygiene.
Associated Signs and Symptoms
Tooth and ear pain usually turn up at the same time. However, there are a few other parts in a human body where the referred pain of a toothache is felt. The reason again being the same nerves supplying these areas. Following are the common symptoms associated with a toothache and ear pain.
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Too much of ear wax might be a sign of an ear infection
- Difficulty in eating
- Sore throat
- Sinus
Management of Toothache and Earache
After all the disappointing statements, here is a piece of good news; toothache without any major complications can easily be managed at home. Yes, you heard it right!
Home remedies and OTC pain medication might help you resolve the pain for a brief period. But for the permanent solution, it’s always best to see your doctor.
Moreover, there isn’t any harm in seeing a dentist at the right time. In fact, it’s best to concern an expert rather than trying to be an expert at home.
Now that you know that a toothache causes earache and ear pain does lead to toothache, the next step should be to book an appointment with your doctor.
FAQs
How to tell the difference between a toothache and ear pain?
Sometimes the pain is so diffused that it becomes hard to tell if it’s an earache or toothache. Both types of pain are more or less similar and equally discomforting. Luckily, you don’t have to worry about finding the difference between the two.
We are giving away a simple key point that might help you differentiate between the two types of pain:
- If you have a bad breath, medically known as Halitosis, you have a toothache.
- On the other hand, pain in the ears is mostly accompanied by a feeling of fluid (or pus) in the ear. Plus, in many cases, earache also affects your hearing capacity.
Can a Bad tooth cause an ear infection?
As we mentioned above, a bad tooth is one of the major causes of tooth decay. And tooth decay can lead to severe ear pain.
But as far as the term ‘infection’ is concerned, a bad tooth can not cause an ear infection. This is because there isn’t any pathway for bacteria to travel from tooth to ear and from ear to tooth.
So it’s not the bacteria but the pain that travels due to the nervous connection associated with the face.
How can you get rid of toothache without having to see a doctor?
Firstly, oral hygiene is the most important thing you need to take into consideration. Apart from brushing the teeth twice a day, you can do saltwater swishes or use a readymade mouthwash. Moreover, clove oil has also proved to help lessen down the tooth pain.
Conclusion
In short, the answer to the question ‘can a toothache cause an earache’ is simple; it can!
And the good part is, it can be treated. However, to get rid of the ear pain, you first have to treat the root cause. Be it the toothache that is followed by an ear pain or the infection that arises in the ear, you can only abolish the pain if you first kill the primary cause.