Your tooth can affect your ear primarily because of the close proximity of nerves and tissues in your head and face.
The Connection: Nerves and Tissues
Ear and tooth pain often happen together because:
- Shared Nerves: The nerves that supply sensation to your teeth and ears are located close to each other. This means pain in one area can be easily referred to the other.
- Proximity of Tissues: Due to the closeness of tissues within the head and face, inflammation or infection near a tooth can sometimes affect the ear.
- Referred Pain: Pain signals from the tooth can be misinterpreted by the brain as originating in the ear, and vice versa, due to the shared nerve pathways.
For example, a tooth infection or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder can cause pain that radiates to the ear.
