Your ear hurts. Your doctor checked it and found nothing wrong. But your tooth has been throbbing for days. The two might seem unrelated — but they're probably deeply connected. Welcome to the world of referred pain.

Here's something surprising: your teeth and ears send signals through the same nerve pathway. It's called the trigeminal nerve, and it's one of the major nerves in your face. When a tooth problem sends pain signals down this nerve, your brain can misinterpret them. It thinks the pain is coming from your ear instead.

This is why dental pain so often feels like ear pain. Your brain is literally confused about the source.

Tooth decay that has reached the inner pulp is a common culprit. So is an abscessed tooth or a cracked tooth. Even severe gum disease can create referred pain that radiates toward your ear.

Wisdom teeth that are impacted — meaning they're trapped beneath your gums — frequently cause this kind of referred pain. The pressure from an impacted wisdom tooth can affect the entire side of your face.

Your jaw joint — the temporomandibular joint or TMJ — sits very close to your ear canal. Problems with this joint, including teeth grinding or clenching, can cause pain that feels exactly like an ear infection.

If your doctor finds no ear problem but you have jaw discomfort or tooth sensitivity, a dental assessment is worth booking.

See your dentist if you have persistent ear pain with no medical cause. Your dentist will examine your teeth, gums, and jaw. X-rays may be needed to see what's happening beneath the surface.

The dental source of ear pain is treatable. Once the tooth or jaw problem is addressed, the ear pain typically resolves.

Ignoring dental pain that refers to your ear won't make it go away. The underlying problem usually gets worse without treatment.

Call 01323 723757 or book at www.meadsdental.com

Meads Village Dental Practice