Can cavities cause ear pain?

Oh, this is the worst! I had a deep cavity in my molar and every time I tried to chew my favorite crispy pakoras, a sharp pain shot straight into my ear. Get that cavity filled quickly so you can enjoy your food in peace.

Yes, medically this is called referred pain. The trigeminal nerve supplies both your teeth and your ear canal, so inflammation in a tooth can feel like an earache. A dentist will easily identify which tooth is causing this.

Our facial nerves are like a messy bundle of cables behind a TV, so when a tooth has a cavity, the ear starts screaming instead! Don't worry, your ear is perfectly fine, it's just your tooth playing telephone tricks on you.

My mother used to tell me that dental pain often travels to the temple and ears because of shared nerves. While warm salt water gargles help soothe the area, you must visit a dentist to treat the root cause of the cavity.

Please don't ignore this. I had a minor toothache that started spreading to my ear, but I ignored it for weeks. It turned out to be a severe infection that spread to my jawbone. Go get a dental checkup immediately.

It is actually very common for deep cavities, especially in back teeth, to cause referred pain in the ear. Don't worry, once the dentist treats the tooth, your ear pain will vanish. Take a mild painkiller if it hurts too much tonight and book an appointment tomorrow.

For diabetics like us, tooth infections can escalate quickly and cause severe shooting pain to the ears. Keep your sugar levels monitored, as high blood sugar can worsen dental infections, and see your dentist as soon as possible.