Can Tooth infection cause Ear Pain, Eye Pain or Throat Pain?

Tooth Infection is one of the most common causes of Tooth pain and it is seen that in many cases due to prolonged infection or spread of infection we have seen patients complaining of pain in the Ear, below or around the Eye and Throat or Neck pain on the affected side. These are in most cases Referred pain due to prolonged infection which has been neglected leading to the formation of an Abscess etc. The problem with pain in Ear, side of the head and around the eye associated with a Toothache is the diagnosis. It is very important that you can get to a proper diagnosis of the relation between the two which can help in attaining a proper treatment plan. 

Let us look at whether and why Tooth infection can lead to pain in the Ear, around the eye, side of neck and side of the head. It is important to make sure that it is just Referred pain and not infection spreading to the said structures. 

Ear Pain in relation to Tooth Infection or Pain: It is important to note that it is very rare that infection is spread to Ear from an infected tooth, but it is very common for patients to experience pain and ringing in the ear due to an infected tooth. The pain in the ear can be caused due to the following conditions seen in the Oral cavity: 

Tooth infection – Infected tooth which has lead to an abscess or cyst or granuloma formation can lead to pain the ear which is called as referred pain. The infection spreads and alters the surrounding hard and soft tissues like the ligaments, muscles etc which lead to Referred pain. 

Pericoronitis: Almost 99% of patients suffering from pericoronitis complain of Pain in the Ear and along the side of the jaw and neck and in severe cases in the side of the head on the affected side. This is called as Referred pain and it will be resolved with treatment of Pericoronitis – Operculectomy or Wisdom tooth extraction. 

TMJ Disorder: It is also called as TMD or Temporomandibular Disorder which is a complex condition which can be caused due to multiple factors such as injury to the jaw, injury to the muscles supporting the jaw, grinding of teeth etc. In TMJ disorders one of the most common symptoms is Aching pain in and around the Ear. This pain will be cured once the TMJ disorder is treated. 

Impacted Wisdom Tooth: This is also one of the most common cause of Ear pain which is caused by either infected wisdom tooth or Pericoronitis as a result of Impaction or when the Impacted tooth affects the various structures surrounding the ear like TMJ, Ligaments, muscles etc. 

Due to the presence of complex nerve fibers in the side of the face in most cases, the aberrant nerve signals are carried by the facial nerve or trigeminal nerve which is called as referred pain. This does not mean that there is something wrong with your ear. 

Can a Toothache cause Eye Pain: 

Eye Pain is seen in patients who have tooth infection in the maxillary teeth, the infection in the maxillary tooth due to its close proximity in some cases leads to Sinusitis. The bacteria from tooth infection enters the Sinus cavities (Maxillary Sinus) and leads to Sinus Infection for which one of the most common symptoms is Eye Pain. Can Tooth Infection lead to Sinusitis? Tooth infection in the maxillary tooth leads to pain in the cheekbones, infraorbital region etc. 

Can a Toothache cause Headache or pain in the Temple region?

Yes, in cases where the maxillary tooth are infected can lead to a headache, pain in the temple region. 

Can Tooth infection cause Throat Pain or pain in the side of neck?

Throat pain or pain in the Side of the Neck is associated with infection in the Mandibular teeth. In severe cases, it is seen that tooth infection can spread into Lingual Space and lead to pain the Neck or Throat infection. Teeth involved in Space Infections.