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.
About The Author
Varun Pandula
I am Varun, a Dentist from Hyderabad, India trying my bit to help everyone understand Dental problems and treatments and to make Dental Education simplified for Dental Students and Dental fraternity. If you have any doubts feel free to contact me or comment in the post, thanks for visiting.
Hi Varun,
I have been having ringing in my left ear for the last 90 days. It started on April 3, 2020. I have taken prescriptions to try and figure it out. My teledoctor thought it was a ear infection, and it was not. We thought it may be a sinus infection, it was not. We thought it may be from concerts in my earlier years as a teen, I am now 55 years old, but unlikely. I do have a bit of pain coming from my teeth in the back upper and lower on the left side, thought it may be a bad tooth as of this evening after reading blogs. There is no facial pain, just tooth pain. I am on a Z-pak antibiotic currently with my last dose tomorrow morning. My teledoctor said I may just have to live with this the rest of my life, I find that not an acceptable answer. I scheduled an appointment today with an ENT (ear nose & throat) specialist, but that is 6 weeks out. Do you have any suggestions? I do use a CPap machine at night, every night for the last ten years. Could it be that causing my issue?? I thought about skipping it for a few nights and see what happens, but read online you could die by skipping it since your body is used to using it. The ringing sensation is in my left ear, sometimes it feels like it moves to the center of my head inside, a couple times it felt like both ears were ringing, but the noise is constant and really does vary in intensity from hour to hour during the day. Sometimes it is low pitch, sometimes it is high pitch (almost screetching noise).I have been on Allegra 100mg allergy pills for 30 days, no help, I was on doxcycline for 5 days, no help. Now I am completing my z-pak (azithromycin 250 mg- 6 tablets) tomorrow, still no relief. I have taken tinnitus pills, ear washes from Amazon, Sudifed, and nothing seems to help. I am really going out of my mind and would appreciate any advice or assistance while I wait six more weeks for my ear doctor in person appointment.
That doesn’t seem like something related to Teeth, I have read few articles regarding such conditions. Over the years, the fluid in the Ear (which helps in maintaining balance) decreases due to many reasons can lead to such Ringing in the ear along with difficulty in maintaining balance.
Have you faced any such issue with loss of balance or feeling dizzy all of a sudden without any reason?
Does impacted wisdom tooth in my lower right causes my right eye to buldge? help
It should not, Please visit a GP to find out the cause. If you are having any difficulty in your Eye it is better to go to an Ophthalmologist and get it checked.