Do you know how to tell a headache from a toothache? You’d think telling a headache from a toothache would be no problem. One is pain in your head. The other is pain in your mouth. But because the nerves in your face, jaw, and teeth connect closely, tooth pain can refer to the head, and vice versa, leaving you wondering whether you should dim the lights and rest or call your dentist.
How to Tell a Headache From a Toothache
If you’ve been experiencing sharp or throbbing pain and can’t pinpoint the source, these tricks for how to tell a headache from a toothache can help.
Press on It
A toothache almost always reacts to direct pressure. Press on the tooth or the gum around it and the pain gets worse. That’s your body telling you exactly where the problem is. A headache doesn’t behave that way. No amount of pressing on your temples or jaw will reproduce the sharp, localized response you’d get from a damaged or infected tooth, so if pressure makes a specific spot scream, there’s your lead.
Pay Attention to When It Hits
Toothaches get worse at night when you lie down, because blood pressure to the head increases in that position. Tension headaches build over the course of a day, often tied to stress or long hours at a screen. If your pain is waking you up at 2 a.m. and zeroing in on one part of your mouth, that’s a dental problem until proven otherwise.
Eat or Drink Something Cold
Temperature sensitivity is one of the clearest signs a tooth is involved. A sharp jolt of pain when something cold or hot hits a specific spot in your mouth points directly to a dental issue. Headaches don’t have a temperature trigger. If your pain stays exactly the same no matter what you eat or drink, the source is more likely in your head than your mouth.
Check the Condition of Your Teeth
Checking the condition of your teeth can help you rule out whether they’re contributing to your pain. Do your teeth look worn or chipped? You could be grinding your teeth at night. Bruxism can be horrible for your oral health and cause radiating jaw and temple pain that’s easy to mistake for a tension headache. Are your gums red and inflamed? That could be a sign of gum disease, which produces a dull, persistent aching. If your teeth look normal, that doesn’t clear them from guilt entirely, but it does make a structural tooth problem less likely.
When the Answer Still Isn’t Clear
If you’ve worked through all of this and still can’t figure out how to tell a headache from a toothache, start with the usual steps for head pain. Drink some water, rest your eyes, and take an over-the-counter pain reliever if you can use one safely.
If your pain doesn’t go away or rapidly gets worse, that points more toward a dental issue or a more serious headache, such as a migraine. Your dentist can rule out tooth damage quickly, so if you aren’t sure where the pain starts, pay a visit to get more concerning dental causes checked. If they don’t find a dental problem, it’s more likely a headache. If you’re getting headaches often and they’re bothering you, your primary care provider can help you figure out what’s causing them.
