02/16/2026
A toothache can radiate pain to the ear, jaw, temple, and even cause one-sided headache.
This is not coincidence ➡️ It is neuroanatomy.
Your teeth are connected to the TRIGEMINAL NERVE — the largest sensory nerve in the face. This nerve has three major branches supplying:
• Upper jaw (maxillary region)
• Lower jaw (mandibular region)
• Forehead, eye, and scalp areas
When a tooth becomes inflamed — due to deep decay, pulpitis, or infection — the pain signals travel through these trigeminal pathways to the brainstem.
But here is the key: The brain 🧠 does not always distinguish precisely where the signal started❗️
Multiple areas of the face, jaw, ear, and head share overlapping neural pathways within the trigeminal system. Because of this convergence, the brain may interpret the signal as coming from nearby regions. This is called REFERRED PAIN.
That is why:
• A lower molar infection can feel like ear pain
• Upper tooth inflammation can trigger temple or sinus pain
• Severe pulpitis can cause one-sided headache
• Jaw muscles may feel sore even when the problem is inside a tooth
The ear and the jaw are especially connected because the mandibular branch of the trigeminal nerve lies close to the ear structures and temporomandibular joint (TMJ).
In some cases, patients seek treatment for “ear pain” when the true source is a dental infection.
Toothache is not isolated discomfort.
It is a neurological event processed by shared cranial nerve pathways.
If pain spreads, throbs, or radiates, it is often a sign that inflammation is affecting deeper tissues — not that the problem is imaginary.
Persistent radiating pain requires evaluation.
Delaying care allows infection to extend beyond the tooth into bone and surrounding structures.
Pain spreading to the ear or head is not coincidence. It is anatomy.
