Can a Cracked Tooth Cause Jaw Pain? Causes and What to Do

Why a crack in one tooth makes the whole jaw ache

The nerves of the teeth and the nerves of the jaw run close together and share pathways to the brain. When a cracked tooth is irritated, the brain is not always good at saying which tooth, or even which part of the face, the signal came from. This is called referred pain.

A few other things add to it:

• Guarding. You chew on the other side without thinking about it, and the muscles on the sore side stay tense.
• Clenching. Pain makes many people clench, and clenched jaw muscles ache by themselves.
• Inflammation. If the crack lets bacteria reach the nerve, the bone and gum around the root can become tender.

Most people who come to us with this have been blaming their jaw for a week and have not once pointed at a tooth. That is a reasonable mistake. The crack is often too fine to see.

Cracked tooth or jaw joint problem?

Both feel like a sore jaw. They behave differently, and a few questions help sort them out.

• Biting. A sharp pain the moment you release a bite, or a zing on one specific spot, points to a tooth.
• Temperature. Pain from hot or cold drinks that lingers points to a tooth.
• Clicking or locking. A jaw that clicks, pops or catches when you open points to the joint. Our post on jaw pain, clicking and headaches covers that side.
• Waking up. A dull ache on both sides that is worst in the morning suggests night-time clenching. See why your jaw hurts when you wake up.

It can also be both at once. A cracked molar often comes from grinding in the first place, and we explain that link in grinding and cracked molars.

Signs the crack has reached the nerve

A crack that stays in the outer layer of the tooth is a minor problem. One that reaches the nerve is not, and the jaw ache is one of the ways it shows itself. Watch for:

• Pain that wakes you at night
• Swelling in the cheek or along the jaw
• A bad taste, or a small bump on the gum next to the tooth
• A tooth that is sore to tap, even lightly

Any of these means the tooth should be seen soon. Our posts on cracked tooth pain and jaw pain that comes from a tooth go through the symptoms in more detail.

When to go to hospital or a doctor, not us

Jaw pain is not always dental. Do not wait for a dental appointment if the pain comes with any of these:

• Chest pain or tightness, shortness of breath, or pain spreading into the left arm or neck
• Sweating, nausea or faintness along with the jaw ache
• Swelling that is spreading to the neck, or difficulty swallowing or breathing
• Jaw pain after a blow to the face, with a bite that no longer lines up

Jaw pain on its own can occasionally be a heart symptom, and that is an emergency room visit, not a dental one. Our guide to the emergency room versus the dentist for tooth pain covers how to decide.

Getting it looked at in Beit Shemesh

The clinic is on Harav Kook 28/1, open Sunday to Thursday 08:00 to 20:00, with Friday hours listed on our site. Shabbat is reserved for genuine emergencies only. A jaw that starts aching on a Thursday night is a different problem from one that starts on Friday afternoon, so if it is getting worse, do not wait for the weekend to see whether it settles. We can often see people the same day, and you can describe the pain in Hebrew or English without translating it in your head.

We ask which side hurts, what sets it off, and whether you grind or clench. Then we test the tooth: a bite test on each cusp, a cold test and an X-ray. Cracks often do not show on an X-ray, so what you tell us counts as part of the diagnosis. The American Dental Association's page on cracked teeth and the American Association of Endodontists' guide to cracked teeth explain how cracks are classified, and the NIDCR has a plain page on temporomandibular disorders if the joint turns out to be the problem.

What treatment looks like

It depends on how deep the crack goes. A shallow one may need bonding or a filling. A crack that runs through the tooth usually needs a crown to hold it together, and a root canal first if the nerve is damaged. A crack that reaches below the gum line may mean the tooth cannot be saved. We will tell you which of these you have before we do anything. How long a crack can safely wait is in how long you can wait with a cracked tooth, and whether one can mend itself is in can a cracked tooth heal. For the clinic's own service page, see cracked tooth repair in Beit Shemesh.

If the jaw pain stays after the tooth is treated, the joint or the muscles are the more likely cause, and we will say so rather than keep drilling.

To get a sore jaw and a possibly cracked tooth looked at in Beit Shemesh, call or WhatsApp Urgent Dental Care on 055-985-8845. Tell us which side hurts and what makes it worse.