Took me a bit to get here because I was on an old board I guess.
I began my painful journey when I was 12. I had painful migraines on the right side of my head, behind my eye, and all those nerves. One upper tooth would also be affected by that cluster of nerves at the jaw joint. I've taken every drug for migraines, and even went to the dentist to see if there was a problem. It seemed to hit me in the spring, and I would get up to 2 migraines a day, for up to a 3 month period. In the last 10 years it also came in the fall. I've done everything, diet, exercise pain meds, but there was no way out.
It wasn't until 4 years ago when my dentist wanted me to go see another dentist to drill into my tooth to see if the root was cracked. It was the same tooth that would explode in pain during a migraine. I decided to have the tooth pulled. I have not had a bad migraine since. I still get the aura, and the minor things that let me know that my cycle has begun, but there is no more pain. I am now 52 years old, I suffered for over 35 years with these horrid cluster headaches. If dentists would truly listen, and do some kind of better xray to show the tooth root way clearer, I would not have suffered to the extent I have.
My advice, is to find someone who can zoom in on the root system of your upper jaw to see if maybe you do in fact have a cracked root, I bet half of the people if not more, would not have to suffer with this anymore. There are several reasons it could have cracked, and I'm not sure why mine was. It could be from a hit to the face, you could clench your jaw. These are my two possibilities to why I suffered.
I did go to the dentist a couple times when my cycle of migraines did come, xrays were taken, and they found nothing. So even normal xrays do not zoom in on these cracks, and the tooth that affected my migraines was the top 6th on my right side. Right next to a cluster of nerves that fed my whole right side of my face. When our bodies have pain, there is a reason. You have to be diligent and look at other issues before you live a life of being given drug after drug for over half your life.
I hope I can help some of you, I believe I can if you can find a dentist to zoom in on your roots where the cluster of nerves are. Get that tooth pulled if it is cracked, and live a normal life.

Glad it worked for you.

As for the value of this advice to others, I call bullshit. A number of sufferers have had ALL their teeth extracted without getting any relief.

There is just no level of correlation between dental problems and CH that can be transformed into "advice for others." It's so low, in fact, that it may even be merely a coincidence.

Did I say it was a cure? I said that there very well could be something there for many people. Don't be a negative because it very well could help someone. >:(

Both of you! Back to your corners and take a deep breath.

The nerve is not able to be "cracked"--infected, yes, but we're talking soft tissue here. A tooth can be cracked.
----
Important stuff: A complex nerve bundle serves much of our head, running into our jaws and it appears to be associated with Cluster. So, when it's very stimulated it may send signals to the jaw making it appear/feel as if the tooth was the culprit. In other cases, the pain appears to be in the eye. But in both situations, this is a phantom experience.

Or, dental treatment doesn't cure Cluster....

...which means I ain't going back to my corner.

In my case, the root of the 6th top right tooth was cracked. Could have happened when I was 12 when the horse I was riding, we were hit by a car. Or, from clenching my jaw. No, the nerve was NOT cracked. LOL, but the root was next to the cluster of nerves that fed the tooth, the eye, sinus area, etc.
Like I was saying, when I had my headaches, that tooth ignited a whole set of pain along with the corkscrew pain behind my eye and sinus cavity. I don't know if others are experiencing tooth pain like I had, but what I am saying if it does indeed go along with the pain from the headache, do get it checked into.
I do and am currently into my fall cycle, with the metalic taste in my mouth, sinus, eye watering and pressure. The aura of pre migraine, but with that tooth gone, the pain of the severe migraine is also gone. The corkscrew pain is gone, the whole essence of migraine is dwindled down to just the aura of it. To me, it is pain free considering what I lived with for so many years.
So, I am just passing along what helped me, take it, or leave it. There is something that is causing the pain from the migraine to be as explosive as it is. Sometimes things are as simple as that.

Quote:

There is something that is causing the pain from the migraine to be as explosive as it is. Sometimes things are as simple as that.

Sometimes.

Not for the vast majority of sufferers.

Which is why I felt your advice:

Quote:

Get that tooth pulled if it is cracked, and live a normal life.

...was way out of line.

Ha ha, if in fact someones 6th top right root is cracked, which is in deed next to that cluster of nerves that does indeed affect pain on the afflicted side of the head, and knowing the root is probably not fixable, you would keep it?
I am not sure why you've chosen me to have a little fun with, but ok, have your fun. Matters none to me.
My advice is for those that may have the extra pain with ch. And since you don't, have an awesome day.

Trying to protect other newbies from bad advice is not my idea of fun. It's more like an obligation.

protecting ppl from bad advice is one thing, my only advice is if you are having a toothache with your migraine, go to a dentist and have it checked out, & demand it.

Just did a search on tooth pain with ch. no no no no. I'm not suggesting ppl just go pull their teeth, so I see why you are protective. I only suggest finding someone to check the structure of the roots. Most dentists xrays don't do a good enough picture to see if the root is fractured. My dentist was going to send me to someone to drill because he thought it was cracked, and I decided to just have it pulled because aside from the migraines, I was having sensitivity issues with it. Luckily I was right, the root was cracked, and long story short. I know I am a clencher. When ppl are going thru the intense pain of a ch, chances are they clench. Now I don't know if thats how my root got cracked, and I don't remember getting any injuries from the accident, but I could have. It just seems there got to be some plausible explanations to why we have the intense pain. Theres just not enough real info other than what works or doesn't work. I've been a Guinea pig for the medical community and do not trust them anymore. I know everyones story is unique to these, I do feel nerves and vessels have a lot to do with it.
So, with that, I'm done. 

Here's another search (more for newbies that happen upon this thread):

START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

Mizzmo,

Unless I totally missed it, you have Migraines not cluster headaches.  They are not the same AT ALL.

Toothache, whether it is from a nerve problem, absess, infected tooth, or anything else that can go wrong with teeth has nothing to do whatsoever with cluster headaches.  True...my teeth on the affected side hurt...but that has to do with the trigeminal nerve.  Nothing more.

[quote author=20100715620 link=1322680188/11#11 date=1322689545]Here's another search (more for newbies that happen upon this thread):

START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE
brew I love the way that link takes u straight to google search COOL! Have I been living under a rock tell me the trick! :D
Anthony

I wouldn't be surprised if the total number of teeth that members here have had pulled, hoping in vain it would relieve their pain, could number 1,000.

I know I had a few pulled, and it's a sadly typical detour that leads to a dead end for an undiagnosed CH'er .

In 1996 when these bastards started I thought I had a brain tumor. MRI ruled that out, but nobody could diagnose. Chiropractors and a dentist later led to the suggestion I have all my upper teeth removed. I lucked into a neuro after an ER doc referral and then cancelled my dentist appointment. 1st app't with neuro and I was in the exam room for nearly and hour and a half alone. By that time I didn't hear much noise coming from outside the exam room. Fed up I dressed and exited the room to find the office had closed and everyone had gone home. Neuro called, apologized all over himself and diagnosed clusters on reschedule. Lidocaine drip was first treatment. Didn't work. Girlfriend at the time suggested I try it in another location. Different.

Now Trex and oxygen and prednisone and etc... ad nauseum. I can chew well though.

@ Strat...even though that Dr. left you like that.. KUDOS to him for letting you know to NOT pull any teeth.  Too many doctors who have NO clue about cluster headaches routinely tell us to do do that and worse.

Thank God for this site, so we can educate the newcomers. 

Mizzmo...PLEASE  take some time to read around this site.  We are all here due to CH...not Migraines.

In 1985...after 3 years of bizarre UNDIAGNOSED headaches, by several doctors..... always proceeded by severe tooth pain....I visited my dentist (for the umpteenth time) but this time, with a demand. Take this damn tooth (teeth) OUT! He absolutely refused...."there's nothing wrong with this tooth Jon, I won't do it".

There aint many men I consider "princes"...this is one. He got as frustrated as me...and frigging researched my problem...and was the one who diagnosed CH.
Thank you Doc B.....just an amazing man.

I got no problem with the dental profession...and I urge anyone with tooth pain to seek help...just praying you encounter such as I did. CH and tooth pain common...the RIGHT diagnosis not so much.....

Best,

Jon

MizzMo,
Read up about the trigeminal nerve

Linda_Howell wrote on Nov 30^th, 2011 at 6:52pm:

Mizzmo, Unless I totally missed it, you have Migraines not cluster headaches.  They are not the same AT ALL. Toothache, whether it is from a nerve problem, absess, infected tooth, or anything else that can go wrong with teeth has nothing to do whatsoever with cluster headaches.  True...my teeth on the affected side hurt...but that has to do with the trigeminal nerve.  Nothing more.

Thats what I was thinking. Sounds like you had a dental issue not CH..

Must give you a LOL. Before I was diagnosed june this year, always thought it was "sinus ploblems" but in the end the pain was so #10 that one night at 1am I extracted my own tooth!!  Needless to say it didnt help. Luckily I am a dentist and injected myself first almost passed out doing it. Still practicing full time. Cope with O2 and Coffee. 2 1/2 yrs since it started. Side effects of meds was too bad. It seems in my cronic it peaks every 2 weeks luckily over weekends.

Pain free days to you all

hell-jee

hell-jee wrote on Dec 4^th, 2011 at 1:12pm:

Must give you a LOL. Before I was diagnosed june this year, always thought it was "sinus ploblems" but in the end the pain was so #10 that one night at 1am I extracted my own tooth!!  Needless to say it didnt help. Luckily I am a dentist and injected myself first almost passed out doing it. Still practicing full time. Cope with O2 and Coffee. 2 1/2 yrs since it started. Side effects of meds was too bad. It seems in my cronic it peaks every 2 weeks luckily over weekends. Pain free days to you all hell-jee

        Are you in India?

            Potter

I've spent thousands on my teeth, but not because of CH.  I happen to have bad teeth with soft enamels.  I've had a root canal done on a live inflamed nerve that wouldn't deaden with triple novacaine, but it had nothing to do with CH.  It didn't hurt as badly either even though the Dr had to hold me in the chair to pull out the nerve.  I understand because of that what terrible pain teeth can cause, but there is absolutely no relationship to CH. 

I hope this makes sense.  I'm so sleep deprived I don't know what I'm saying and my computer can't spell. :D

Jerry

I concur that tooth issues are not the "Cause" of CH's. Yet I do believe that CH's can aggravate tooth pain. If you add the tooth pain on top of a CH, it can be a lot worse.

I used to have bad teeth and they would ache big time during a CH. Since having my teeth fixed my level of pain during a CH is usually a fair bit less.

Since my sinuses would "inflame" I'd assume my root-canal would also. Add an abscessed root or 3 to the mix and I understand why they would hurt during a CH.