Can wisdom teeth cause headaches?

How wisdom teeth can lead to headaches

Cleveland Clinic lists headaches, with pain that radiates to the jaw, face and head, among the symptoms of impacted wisdom teeth. Healthline explains two routes. Emerging teeth can cause discomfort, including headaches, as they push through the jawbone and gum line. And when there is not enough room, impacted teeth can shift other teeth and create an improper bite, so the lower jaw may compensate, causing pain and soreness.

Healthy, correctly positioned wisdom teeth usually cause no pain, according to Healthline. Pain typically comes from how they erupt or from problems after removal.

What impacted means

Wisdom teeth, also called third molars, are the last teeth to grow in, usually between about ages 17 and 25. Cleveland Clinic says impacted wisdom teeth are partly or fully trapped in the gums or jawbone, usually because the jaw lacks space or the tooth erupts at the wrong angle, and it cites the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons estimate that 90 percent of people have at least one impacted tooth.

Impaction can be soft tissue, where the tooth has broken through bone but not gum, or hard tissue, where it is still covered by both. A horizontally lying tooth often causes pain, but impacted teeth are not necessarily more painful to remove.

Other signs of a problem wisdom tooth

Symptoms can be absent, or appear suddenly or gradually. Cleveland Clinic lists the main ones.

• Pain or swelling in the jaw or face.
• Red, swollen or bleeding gums.
• A bad taste or bad breath.
• Difficulty opening the mouth fully.
• Headaches, with pain that radiates to the jaw, face and head.

Infection, decay and gum problems

Healthline says partial eruption can leave a flap of gum tissue that traps food and bacteria and can cause infection, and describes pericoronitis, an inflamed gum condition that is hard to clean. It also lists tooth decay in partly impacted teeth, cysts that can damage the jawbone, nerves and teeth, and damage to the neighboring second molar.

Cleveland Clinic lists complications including infection, abscesses, tooth decay, gum disease and damage to neighboring teeth. These are reasons a dentist may recommend removal, and also why pain or swelling should be checked rather than waited out.

Headaches that are not from wisdom teeth

Headaches are common and have many causes. Healthline notes that jaw and facial pain can also come from other problems, and recommends a dentist visit so the cause can be identified. After surgery, Healthline says a stiff jaw can lead to tension headaches, and that other causes include anesthesia, stress and anxiety, pain, sleep deprivation and blood pressure changes.

Because tooth, jaw, sinus and muscle problems overlap, the sources we read do not suggest diagnosing yourself. If you have a severe headache with fever, neck stiffness, vision changes or other worrying symptoms, seek medical care rather than assuming it is a tooth.

How a dentist checks

Cleveland Clinic says diagnosis involves a dental exam, a review of your symptoms and dental X-rays. Healthline says X-rays can detect impaction before symptoms appear, and notes that the American Dental Association recommends X-raying and monitoring wisdom teeth in teenagers and young adults. It also suggests routine checkups about every six months so the dentist can monitor growth.

Treatment options

Not everyone needs removal. Cleveland Clinic says surgery is usually recommended if the teeth cause pain, infection or damage, that some dentists recommend it preventively, and that if the teeth cause no problems removal is often unnecessary. Healthline lists home measures for pain such as warm salt water rinses, good oral hygiene, ice packs on the cheek and over-the-counter pain relief used per the label.

Those measures are short-term relief. They do not change the reason the tooth is hurting.

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