Morning Teeth Pain: Common Causes and Fixes

Morning teeth pain is more common than you might think, and there are multiple potential causes behind it.

Here, we’ll shed some light on the reasons why people often wake up with toothaches, and what you can do to address yours once you understand why it’s happening.

The Most Common Causes of Morning Tooth Pain

You’re used to waking up with issues like dry mouth and bad breath, but those concerns are nothing that a glass of water and a quick scrub of your teeth can’t fix. 

But now, something has changed. Instead of your usual oral hygiene reminders, there’s a new symptom in town: painful and sensitive teeth. 

What’s going on?

There’s a good chance one of the following culprits is behind your morning tooth pain. Let’s try to get to the “root” of your issue with a bit of information to help you pinpoint the actual problem!

Grinding and Clenching

Even if you’ve never realized you’re doing it, you could be grinding your teeth in your sleep. This condition, called bruxism, occurs in 8-31% of adults, many of whom never realize they have it until the damage is already severe.

The reason bruxing is such an issue is that it puts significant pressure on your teeth and jaw muscles, sometimes for hours at a time. Take a few seconds and clench your jaw as tightly as you can, then grind your upper and lower teeth together. You likely already notice a little soreness. 

Now imagine doing that same action for half an hour or longer. The continuous force and strain damage your jaw muscles and can inflame the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). 

Over time, this leads to symptoms like:

• Inflamed nerves in the teeth
• Displaced or inflamed TMJ, causing pain when you open or close your mouth
• Jaw and facial muscle strain
• Tooth and gum sensitivity
• Cracks and chips in the tooth enamel
• Headaches
• Earaches

Bruxism isn’t a diagnosis — it’s an underlying symptom of something else going on in your body, like stress, a misaligned bite, or a medical condition. If you think you might be bruxing, talk to your dentist or check out JS Dental Lab’s professional, custom-made night guards to protect your teeth while you find out what’s causing your teeth grinding.

See: How to Fix Damage From Teeth Grinding [+ How to Prevent It]

Cavities

Bruxism is one of the major causes of morning tooth pain, but it isn’t the only one. Sometimes a toothache…is just a toothache. 

When was the last time you had a dental checkup? If it’s been a minute, your pain could mean you have a cavity.

Cavities and pain are notoriously linked together. This effect occurs when a tooth becomes decayed, weakening the enamel and allowing bacteria to enter the inner layer of the tooth. Once bacteria and acid reach the inner pulp, the nerves get involved. 

During the day, you might not notice any discomfort, but when you’re lying down to sleep, the blood flows to the head. A buildup of pressure in the pulp pushes on the nerves, and your saliva flow reduces. 

By the time you wake up in the morning, the pain is undeniable.

While you wait for a dentist appointment, consider moving to an upright sleep position and wearing a night guard to prevent extra strain on your painful tooth. Try drinking extra water and using a humidifier to keep your mouth from drying out.

Gum Issues

Another oral health problem that could be related to your toothache is gum disease. When your gums are inflamed or infected, the symptoms aren’t always obvious. But, as with a cavity, when you’re lying flat for a while, the blood circulates in your head, pushing on the already swollen gums. 

Infection spreads from the gum line into the jawbone and tooth roots, causing tenderness and soreness. Between the infection irritating the nerves and the pressure increasing inflammation in your swollen gums, morning teeth pain is a typical result.

Sinusitis

Sinus infections (sinusitis) have long been confused with morning toothaches. This misunderstanding happens because the maxillary sinuses are located right above the upper teeth. 

When your sinuses are swollen, they put pressure on the tooth roots.

Just as with cavities and gum disease, lying flat all night can worsen the pressure in the morning. Instead of blood causing the symptoms, though, sinusitis creates an accumulation of mucus. The result is a dull pain in the upper back teeth. If your morning toothaches are specific to that area, there’s a good chance the problem is in your sinuses, not your teeth.

TMJ Pain

Although bruxism can cause TMJ, you don’t need to be a grinder to have a temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD). This term refers to one of more than 30 types of conditions that relate to the TMJ. 

They all have distinct differences, but the similarities include:

• Popping
• Clicking
• Pain in the joint
• Trouble opening and closing the mouth

TMJ disorders also cause the jaw muscles to work harder as they try to force the joint into alignment. The effects of the strain bring pain and sensitivity, as well as added pressure on the teeth and gums. 

Tight muscles, called trigger points, send “referred pain” elsewhere, including the teeth. This referred signal makes you think the problem is dental, but it’s actually stemming from the jaw joint and muscles.

Dental Emergencies

Less common — but more urgent — are dental emergencies that cause toothaches. If you have an impacted tooth or a tooth abscess, morning toothaches are a typical symptom. 

Both issues require quick treatment before they worsen, potentially becoming life-threatening.

Impacted Tooth

An impacted tooth is one that hasn’t grown in properly. As it develops, it pushes against other teeth, forcing them to shift and make room for the new intruder. 

This alone can be uncomfortable, but if the impacted tooth becomes infected, the infection can spread into the bloodstream and lead to serious health complications.

Abscess

Abscesses are dangerous for the same reason. By definition, a dental abscess is a pocket of pus caused by a bacterial infection. It may be in the soft tissue around the tooth or in the tooth’s root. 

Lying down causes impacted teeth and abscesses to throb painfully as blood pressure in the head increases. If you notice inflammation in the mouth or swelling of the jaw, tooth, or gums, call your dentist immediately.

How to Know if Your Pain is From Grinding or Something Else

With a few exceptions (like a visual abscess), it can be challenging to pinpoint the cause of your tooth discomfort. Since the number one reason for morning toothaches is bruxism, it’s a good place to start when narrowing down the problem.

Bruxism often comes with other symptoms, as discussed above, making it a little easier to recognize. If your toothache comes with any of the following signs accompanying it, it’s time to try a custom-made night guard to see if that fixes the pain:

• Loose or shifting teeth
• Tooth sensitivity
• Visually worn, chipped, flattened, or cracked teeth
• Jaw, neck, and shoulder pain (especially in the morning)
• Fatigue, even with a full night’s rest
• Morning headaches or migraines
• Tight/sore jaw and facial muscles
• Clicking, popping, and difficulty moving the mouth
• Tooth decay

As common as bruxism is today, it’s still not a “frequently discussed” problem. However, when your symptoms resemble those listed above, the solution to the pain may be as simple as wearing a night guard. 

Signs That Your Toothache Isn’t Grinding-Related

When you don’t think jaw clenching and teeth grinding are the issue, how can you tell what it is?

From here, there are two main avenues to consider: a sinus infection or dental health problems. The easiest way to start is by ruling out sinusitis, but the symptoms often overlap with bruxism. 

Ask yourself: Is the toothache in my upper back tooth/teeth? Do I have any nasal congestion or a nasal drip? 

Try gently pushing against the areas around your nose, eyes, and forehead. Does the pressure cause discomfort? Does it increase when you bend forward? Do you have any coughing, fever, headache, or tiredness? 

Those are all signs of sinusitis. Try treating the toothache with sinus medicine or remedies before you move into dental health fixes.

However, if it isn’t sinusitis or bruxism, then you may want to schedule an appointment with your dentist. This funnel of symptom checking leads us to a potential cavity, an impacted tooth, gum disease, or other dental issues requiring care.

When You Should See a Dentist

We get it. No one wants to go to the dentist unless they have to or it’s time for a cleaning. But in between your bi-annual checkups, there are occasions when the dentist becomes your new best friend (at least for a little while).

You’ve evaluated your symptoms, and you know how to tell the difference between teeth grinding and a TMD, sinusitis, and something else. Now, you’re debating whether to call the dentist or deal with the problem yourself.

Here’s a quick guide to toothache symptoms that need dentistry assistance as soon as possible:

• Dental issues after a recent treatment that don’t line up with the recovery notes you were sent home with
• Persistent tooth pain after you’ve tried various at-home remedies
• Tooth or jaw pain that progressively worsens
• Tooth decay
• Dental abscess (Infections rarely go away on their own.)
• Visibly cracked or damaged tooth
• Trauma to the jaw or face, even if mild
• Signs of gum disease

Urgent needs, such as trauma or infection, require fast treatment. If you can’t get to your dentist immediately, consider visiting an urgent care clinic or emergency room. For other dental care issues, you may have to wait a week or two. 

In the meantime, the toothache is still distracting you from enjoying your day. Home remedies can temporarily reduce the discomfort while you await a permanent solution.

Home Remedies and Other Solutions for Toothaches

Fast toothache relief could be sitting around your house right now. Try these simple tips to feel better fast:

• Apply an ice pack to the affected area for 10 minutes every hour. This helps reduce inflammation and numb the nerve endings to relieve pain.
• Use a warm saltwater rinse to reduce bacteria and alleviate inflammation.
• Take a drop of clove oil or vanilla extract and apply it to the tooth at the gum line or root. The active ingredients in these liquids are known to be analgesics and anti-inflammatories.
• Use OTC pain medication as directed. NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories) are particularly helpful with toothaches.
• Use dental floss to dislodge any debris or food particles stuck under the gums that might be causing the pain.

While you’re managing your discomfort, it’s crucial to recognize the triggers that make it worse — and avoid them. 

Start by wearing a night guard to reduce any further damage. You can find affordable, high-quality oral appliances delivered to your door at JS Dental Lab, saving you time and expense compared to visiting a dentist’s office.

Preventative care also includes avoiding sugary and acidic foods and staying away from anything hard, sticky, and chewy. These overwork the jaw muscles and add stress and bacteria to the tooth, increasing pain.

Do you have any bad habits that make the toothache worse, such as chewing on hard objects, chewing gum, or alcohol, drugs, and tobacco use? Even regular caffeine intake stimulates the muscles and potentially increases pain. Try avoiding these habits while your tooth is healing to see if it reduces the discomfort.

Remember, toothache symptoms may subside, but if you don’t address the underlying issue, they will likely return and worsen. Use these remedies as a stopgap measure until you can see your dentist for a permanent fix.

Conclusion

Regular dental checkups and good oral hygiene habits go a long way towards preventing toothaches, but they can happen to anyone. Your morning discomfort could be related to anything from bruxism to tooth decay. Use this guide to pinpoint the cause of your symptoms. 

Call your dentist for oral health fixes, and check out our professional, custom night guards at JS Dental Lab to get quick relief from grinding delivered to your mailbox!

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