Eye pain has quite a few causes, including cancer. However, eye pain can also be caused by a cavity, believe it or not.

Nevertheless, if you’re having seemingly unexplainable pain in an eye, you should first see an ophthalmologist to rule out a serious cause such as a tumor.

Cancer of the eye is very rare (such as ocular melanoma), and even rarer is pain that is caused by the tumor. Symptoms usually involve vision.

So if you’re having pain in the eye, it’s not likely to have a malignant cause.

But as mentioned, you should see an eye physician to rule out the most serious possibility first.

This way you can then breathe easy and focus on possible benign causes of your eye pain, such as a cavity in a tooth.

Cavity in a Tooth and Eye Pain

“Pain from a damaged tooth can ‘radiate,’ causing eye pain, headaches, ear aches, etc.,” says Laurence (Larry) Grayhills, DMD, MS, MAGD, member of the Academy of General Dentistry.

“An infected or abscessed tooth could ‘drain’ into the sinus and establish a sinus infection.  This, too, could be a source of pain behind the eye or headache.”

How does a cavity get this bad to begin with? The patient has not had regular dental exams!

“Oh, it’s just teeth,” you might say, if you’re guilty of never having routine dental checkups.

But not only can neglected teeth become a cosmetic issue, this can lead to problems that eventually cause too much pain to ignore.

You then must get extensive dental treatment that leaves a gigantic cavity in your wallet.

If you’ve been having eye pain, it’s likely not cancer (VERY unlikely, actually).

If you haven’t been to the dentist for very long time, the eye pain just might be from a big cavity.

However…it may also be from a pinched nerve in the neck. Bottom line: Stop putting off seeking a diagnosis.

Dr. Grayhills is with Mohip Dental & Associates, of FL, which provides the highest level of cosmetic, restorative, prosthetic and emergency dental care available. 
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.