3 Reasons Your Abscessed Tooth Might Cause Neck Pain

28 May 2016

Jaime Allen

If you have been suffering through a bout of neck pain and can't figure out why, look no further than inside your mouth. While neck pain is often related to strain, stress, poor posture, and carrying heavy backpacks, it can also be related to an abscessed, or infected tooth. Here are three ways your tooth abscess may be contributing to that pain in your neck:

Inflammatory Response

When you have an infection, especially a simmering infection, your body produces substances known as cytokines. Also known as pro-inflammatory cytokines, these proteins can lead to a systemic-wide inflammatory response. When this happens, you may experience pain in your neck and other parts of your body. Your neck may be more susceptible to pain because of its close proximity to your infected tooth. This is typically known as referred pain. 

Fever

Abscessed teeth sometimes cause an elevated temperature, and because of this, you may experience body aches with neck pain and stiffness. Taking an over-the-counter pain and fever reducer such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen will help relieve your fever, neck pain, and toothache. If your dentist has already prescribed a pain reliever for your tooth infection, do not take any addition non-prescription medications for your symptoms. Doing so may lead to accidental over dosage. 

Facial Nerve Involvement

If you have an abscessed tooth, the infection may affect your facial nerves. When this happens, you might experience numbness and tingling sensations in your cheek and chin, as well as shooting pains in your jaw and neck.

The neck pain and facial symptoms usually occur on the same side as the abscess, however, they can affect both sides of your face. If you develop neck pain that is also associated with facial numbness or pain, your doctor may refer you to a neurologist for further evaluation and treatment.

Inflammation of the facial nerve due to a tooth infection usually resolves once the infection has cleared, however, it may take longer, and in rare cases, may be permanent. Certain dietary supplements such as magnesium and the B vitamins may help improve numbness and tingling, which is known as neuropathy, however, never take them until you check with your doctor.

If you have an abscessed tooth and develop any of the above conditions, see your dentist. The sooner that your symptoms are recognized and treated, the less likely you are to experience serious complications such as a severe, body-wide infection and permanent nerve damage to your facial nerve. 

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