Headaches of the Wisdom Teeth
If your head is exploding and you’re in your late teens, then most likely the cause is the last erupting tooth, i.e., the wisdom tooth. Some of you might be looking for ways to get rid of your headache, while some might want to know more about wisdom teeth headaches.
Sit tight as we’ll cover both the aspects mentioned above.
Can Wisdom Teeth Cause Headaches?
The answer to this is a yes and a no – as it varies from person to person. If wisdom teeth compress a nerve or put pressure on the jaw and adjacent teeth, it’s more likely to develop a headache. Such headaches are usually tension-type headaches that form a pressure band around your forehead. However, case reports also show evidence of piercing pain (cluster headache) associated with wisdom teeth on one side of the face.
If wisdom teeth are casually erupting in a straight path, the chances of a headache or migraine are minimal. But you might experience mild to moderate discomfort for some time which is totally normal.
Can Wisdom Teeth Growth Cause Migraine?
The most frequently asked question by many is: “Will wisdom teeth cause migraines?” While wisdom teeth have no direct relation to causing migraine, though the growth of these teeth can lead to conditions that may trigger or exacerbate the migraine symptoms. [1]
Orofacial pain is pain within the face, neck, head, or mouth and may sometimes contribute to migraine manifestations. Every time the wisdom teeth begin coming through, they often push against the nearby tissues, such as the sinuses – especially the ones that are located in the upper jaw and can thereby add more pressure inside the sinuses. [2] Apart from that, that excess pressure can be the source of a headache or the increased pain of a current migraine.
Mainly, irritations of nerves in the ihead due to the impacted or even misaligned position of the wisdom teeth may worsen other symptoms of migraines such as nausea, vomiting, and light sensitivities.
Migraine Symptoms
Common symptoms of migraine include:
- Severe headaches that disrupt the ability to function in daily life
- Sensitivity to light, smells, or sounds
- Nausea or vomiting
- Pain localized on one or both sides of the head
- Pounding or throbbing headache
How can you tell whether a headache you have is a wisdom tooth headache?
Wisdom teeth headaches tend to be associated with certain signs and symptoms. These are as follows:
- Disturbed bite – If your teeth don’t make contact on clenching, there is a chance that your headache is associated with the emerging wisdom teeth.
- Pain in back tooth – Dull pain in the eruption area of the last molar is also an indication of wisdom teeth headache.
- Pain on opening and closing – Opening and closing of the jaw is something that can trigger a wisdom tooth headache, especially if there is no arch space.
- Decayed tooth – The erupting last molar develops caries in the adjacent tooth by exerting pressure on it. This decay, after reaching the pulp, can lead to an excruciating pain response in the head as well as the jaw.
- Swollen gums – Gum swelling points out the presence of bacteria in the area of wisdom tooth eruption.
Other Signs that Headaches can be Caused by Wisdom Teeth Include:
If you wonder whether your headaches are connected with wisdom teeth, look for the following symptoms:
1. Tension or Stressed Headaches
Unaccounted migraines or tension headaches could also result from pressure on the jawbone from impacted or erupting wisdom teeth. The pressure might lead to tension in facial, neck, and head muscles resulting from misaligned teeth, bringing along unrelenting pain.
2. Headache and Earache
If the headache is with earache, this might be the result of pressure on the jaw caused by the wisdom teeth. In such cases, this usually is referred from the ears inward because of shared nerves.
3. Sinus Headaches
Less commonly, inflammation and pressure around wisdom teeth possibly might cause even pounding throbbing headaches of sinus origin. That kind of headache can come together with stuffiness in the nose or a sore throat.
4. Face Numbness
It is also possible that impacted wisdom teeth can lean into and press on the nerves that are located close to them, resulting in tingling and numbness in the jaw and face. These might also be followed by constant headaches.
5. Soreness in the Jaw With Headaches
Another symptom is tenderness or soreness in the jaw, often accompanied by headaches, which may indicate that wisdom teeth are pushing against surrounding structures.
6. Pain with the Wide Opening of the Mouth
Difficulty or discomfort opening your mouth wide may be a sign of misalignment in the jaw caused by wisdom teeth or pressure put on a tooth that has worked its way partially out of your gum. A headache from this type of discomfort usually is heightened.
If you are also experiencing these with continuous headaches, then a dental visit can confirm the wisdom teeth problem. Early treatment and evaluation avoid further complications.
Impacted Wisdom Teeth
Impacted wisdom teeth simply mean that teeth have not emerged fully from the gum. In the case of a completely impacted tooth, it remains completely beneath the gum while in the case of partial impact, part of the tooth is visible. Both the conditions may cause different oral health problems. [3]
Can Impacted Wisdom Teeth Cause Headaches?
Yes, impacted wisdom teeth can cause headaches. Each time that impacted wisdom teeth happens inside the gum, the pressure coming from them on the surrounding jaw, nerves, and teeth might connect to the head and cause pain. [4]
How Impacted Wisdom Teeth Cause Headaches
Impacted teeth can also put pressure on both the musculature of the jaw and TMJ, causing tension headaches.
- Nerve Irritation: The pressure from impacted teeth may irritate nerves around them and cause referred pain in the head. [5]
- Sinus Pressure: The proximity of the upper wisdom teeth to the sinuses can lead to inflammation and sinus headaches.
Can Growing Wisdom Teeth Cause Headaches?
Yes, wisdom teeth growth may cause headaches. The growth of wisdom teeth may push against the surrounding gum, jawbone, and teeth. This often results in pain that travels to the head, leading to tension or sinus headaches.
How Wisdom Teeth Growth Cause to Headaches
- Jaw and Gum Pressure: As the teeth force their way through the gums, there is inflammation and straining that results in discomfort to the jaw, which then extends to the head.
- Nerve Irritation: Wisdom teeth proximal to the trigeminal nerve can cause pain referred to in the temples or forehead.
- Sinus Involvement: Wisdom teeth developing close to the sinus cavities may cause pressure or sinus headache.
Can Decaying Wisdom Teeth Cause Headaches?
Yes, decaying wisdom teeth cause headaches. Primarily, they become decayed as food particles easily get lodged in them, and access to parts is usually shallow. As a result of such chronic conditions, there arise infections, inflammation, and pressures on nerves related to headaches. [6]
How Decaying Wisdom Teeth Cause Headaches
- Infection: Abscess or gum infections at decayed wisdom teeth may result in pain referring to the jaw and head.
- Swelling: The accumulation of bacteria around the carious teeth can lead to inflammation of the gums and nerves, which can cause throbbing headaches.
- TMJ Stress: Since it is an impacted or mispositioned wisdom tooth that changes the proper alignment of your jaw, an uneven amount of tension becomes present on the TMJ. Stress at the TMJ causes tension headache.
How to Get Rid of Wisdom Teeth Migraine or Headache?
1. Home Remedies:
- Aspirin therapy – Clinical studies show that this medication can be used in cases of headache due to wisdom teeth removal.
- Salty rinses – Saltwater is proven to be efficacious against pain. In addition, it fights the harmful bacteria in the mouth resulting in healthy gums. Salt water rinses must be done in conjunction with an smart sonic toothbrush to enhance its results.
- Cloth tightly tied around the head – The tying of cloth around the head can relieve pain. This must be done in conjunction with hot and cold pad placement on the extra oral wisdom tooth area. This will relieve muscle soreness and ultimately reduce headaches.
- Apply thermotherapy - Try using a technique of alternating hot and cold compresses on the jaw. Cold compresses can help reduce swelling and numb the pain, while heat relaxes the tense jaw muscles contributing to headache discomfort.
2. Professional Remedy and Treatment:
After thorough clinical examination and investigation, if the cause of headache is localized to the area of the wisdom tooth or multiple wisdom teeth, then extraction is performed by a dental professional. This usually is the case of impacted wisdom tooth headache. Here, the word impacted refers to a tooth stuck in the bone or gum tissue.
- Extraction of wisdom teeth - In certain cases, extraction is the only option to relieve migraine associated with wisdom molars. However, headaches and migraines can also occur after wisdom teeth removal. Need not to worry as they can be instantly relieved by aspirin therapy.
- Surgical extraction of impacted teeth - These impacted wisdom teeth, which cannot fully erupt, often require surgical intervention, which is more complex. The removal of the wisdom teeth relieves the pressure on the surrounding area, hence reducing the likelihood of headaches. [7]
Practice Good Oral Hygiene
In addition to all the above remedies, it is very important for you to maintain oral hygiene. You can avoid infection and inflammation if you keep the teeth and gums around the wisdom teeth clean. Clean the teeth and gums with good-quality brushes around the wisdom teeth using the Oclean X Pro Elite Sonic Toothbrush with careful flossing to remove food particles that get trapped around the wisdom teeth.
These sonic toothbrushes are of high performance for better oral care. Equipped with advanced technology, the Smart Sonic feature, and real-time feedback via a Smart Screen, every Oclean toothbrush ensures deep and efficient cleaning to keep your teeth at their best with minimal effort. Moreover, water flossers must also be used after toothbrushing.
Both these oral care products are available at Oclean. The products at oclean are user-friendly, as they have been positively reviewed by hundreds of users.
Can Wisdom Teeth Removal Cause Headaches?
Yes, one can have a headache after wisdom teeth removal, but this headache is usually temporary. During the extraction process, nerves and tissues of the jaw may get inflamed or irritated, which can cause post-operative headaches. [8]
Why Wisdom Teeth Removal May Cause Headaches
- Postoperative Inflammation: It can result in swelling of the surrounding tissues, including irritation, and radiating pain to the head.
- Anesthesia Effects: It is common to experience a mild headache following local or general anesthesia. [9]
- Dry Socket: This painful condition may arise if the blood clot covering the extraction site is dislodged, which could lead to severe pain in the jaw and head.
Does Wisdom Teeth Removal Address Headaches?
If your headaches are caused by discomfort from your wisdom teeth, such as jaw pressure, gum irritation, or tooth crowding, removing them can provide relief. Wisdom tooth extraction removes the source of the pressure in your jaw and the surrounding teeth which can reduce or even eliminate headaches related to such issues.
However, not every type of headache is wisdom-tooth-related; if your headache is due to stress, diet, and other exogenous factors, removal of the wisdom teeth has no great effect. The extraction of wisdom teeth as a solution for headaches can be considered only with a proper diagnosis by a dentist.
Can Wisdom Teeth Cause Eye Pain?
Though less frequently, wisdom teeth sometimes develop referred pain in the eyes among other areas. Because the roots of the upper wisdom teeth are near the sinus cavities, any impaction or infection within the teeth can lead to sinus pressure. This pressure can push forward toward the eyes and present as discomfort or a dull ache. Any persistence of eye pain with dental issues should have the wisdom teeth excluded by a dentist as a potential causative factor.
Can Wisdom Teeth Cause Dizziness?
Yes, wisdom teeth can sometimes cause dizziness. Impacted or infected wisdom teeth may inflame the surrounding jaw or ear region and affect the vestibular system responsible for balance. This is well-established in cases where the wisdom teeth press on nerves that are nearby. If you have frequent dizziness along with pain or swelling in your jaw, seek dental advice for possible evaluation and treatment.
Can Wisdom Teeth Cause Ear Pain?
Other common complaints with wisdom teeth include aching in the ear, especially when impacted or growing out in the wrong direction. There are various ways through which pain from wisdom teeth can be referred to the ear area because of the closeness of these teeth to the nerves supplying the jaw and ear. If there is ear pain that accompanies the discomfort in the jaw or restriction in the opening of the mouth, it might relate to your wisdom teeth affecting other structures.
What Can Happen if You Leave a Problematic Wisdom Tooth Untreated?
Thinking wisely about wisdom teeth is very important. If one such problematic tooth is left as it is, it can lead to multiple complications, namely:
- Persistent headache with increasing pain
- Cyst or Tumor
- Pericoronitis – inflammation around the crown of an impacted tooth
- Dental Decay
- Periodontal problems
- Adjacent tooth damage
When to See a Dentist?
If you have persistent pain, swelling, or discomfort in the jaw, mouth, or facial area, then it is time to see a doctor. Other possible symptoms may include pain when chewing or opening your mouth, infected gums, or headaches.
Consult your wisdom teeth as early as possible by a doctor or dentist should there be any pain experienced from the ear, eye, or neck region, accompanied by dizziness and sinus problems. Early consulting may help in complication prevention.
Bottom line:
Wisdom teeth can cause headaches during the phase of eruption. The pain associated with these headaches can be treated at home by aspirin therapy, salt water rinses, and tying a cloth around the forehead. In cases of persistent pain and impacted last molar, usually, extraction is done.
Maintenance of oral hygiene is of utmost importance for pain associated with the oral region. Thus, the use of portable water flosser and sonic electric toothbrushes must be consistent, i.e., brushing twice and flossing once to prevent the origin of pain and headache.
Reference
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Chen, R.C., et al. “The Radiology of Referred Otalgia.” American Journal of Neuroradiology, vol. 30, no. 10, 1 Oct. 2009, pp. 1817–1823, https://doi.org/10.3174/ajnr.a1605. Accessed 5 Nov. 2020.
Frothingham, Scott. “Can Wisdom Teeth Cause Headache Pain?” Healthline, Healthline Media, 12 Dec. 2019, www.healthline.com/health/headache-from-wisdom-teeth#emerging-wisdom-teeth. Accessed 12 Jan. 2025.
Cleveland Clinic. “Impacted Wisdom Teeth: Symptoms, Signs, Removal & Recovery.” Cleveland Clinic, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/22296-impacted-wisdom-teeth.
Dodson, Thomas B, and Dr Srinivas. “Impacted Wisdom Teeth.” BMJ Clinical Evidence, vol. 2014, 29 Aug. 2014, p. 1302, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4148832/.
“Can Wisdom Teeth Cause Headaches? | Innovative Implant and Oral Surgery.” Innovative Implant and Oral Surgery, 12 Apr. 2024, innovativeoralsurgery.com/wisdom-teeth/can-wisdom-teeth-cause-headaches Accessed 12 Jan. 2025.
Choi, Junghun F., and Paul Chang. “Oral Surgery, Extraction of Unerupted Teeth.” StatPearls, 2023, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37276280/.
Modena Dentistry. “Modena Dentistry and Orthodontics.” Modena Dentistry, 30 June 2023, www.modenadentistry.com/headache-after-wisdom-tooth-extraction-what-might-the-reasons-be/. Accessed 12 Jan. 2025.
Cherney, Kristeen. “Is Dizziness a Side Effect of Wisdom Teeth Extraction?” Healthline, Healthline Media, 13 Apr. 2023, www.healthline.com/health/dizziness-after-wisdom-teeth-removal. Accessed 12 Jan. 2025.