Why Does My Tooth Hurt When It’s Actually a Headache?
Case #210306
Why Does My Tooth Hurt When It’s Actually a Headache?
“I thought I had a tooth problem.”
This patient came in thinking there was something wrong with their teeth.
They had headaches around the temples,
and when they massaged that area,
the pain spread to both sides of the teeth.
They described it like this:
“I feel the impact going into my teeth when I walk.”
“It feels like my tooth is about to fall out.”
But after examination,
👉 there was no problem with the teeth.
Pain that feels like a toothache, but isn’t
The real cause was not the teeth.
It was tension in the jaw muscles
and the temporomandibular joint (TMJ).
Pain from these muscles can travel through nerves
and feel like it is coming from the teeth.
This is called
👉 referred pain
You feel it in the teeth,
but the source is somewhere else.
Why does the canine tooth feel sensitive?
The patient especially felt pain in the upper canine.
The pain appeared when
walking
exercising
or when the upper body experienced impact
They described it as
“like when a baby tooth is about to fall out.”
This is not a tooth problem.
It is muscle-related pain being transmitted
to specific teeth.
Why headaches and tooth pain come together
The patient noticed something important:
“When my headache gets worse, my teeth hurt too.”
This is a key sign.
If it were a tooth problem,
it would not follow this pattern.
But with muscle tension,
👉 headache increases → muscle tension increases → tooth pain increases
Jaw dislocation history matters
The patient also had a history of the jaw slipping out
while yawning.
They could put it back themselves.
This is not normal.
👉 It is a sign of TMJ instability
Treatment outcome
After treatment, the patient said:
“I can sleep better because the headache is gone.”
“When my jaw is adjusted, my teeth feel comfortable.”
The important point is:
👉 We did not treat the teeth
👉 But the tooth pain disappeared
Recurrence, but improvement
The patient had some recurrences over time.
But each time,
👉 recovery became faster
👉 pain became milder
The truth about TMJ treatment
TMJ problems are not a one-time fix.
They are
👉 conditions that need management
But over time,
👉 symptoms become easier to control
If you have these symptoms
Tooth pain that
comes with headaches
appears only with impact
gets worse with massage
comes with jaw instability
👉 may not be a tooth problem
Final message
Not all tooth pain comes from the teeth.
If your pain is linked with headaches,
👉 your jaw may be the real problem
Obokmanse Dental Clinic
Seoul, Korea
Dr. SooYoung Lee, DMD, MSc, PhD
