Salt Lake City, UT
A 22-year-old female asked:
I have a sore throat and my jaw hurts and my head hurts. i also had a bad toothache a week ago. do i need a dentist or doctor?
4 doctor answers • 7 doctors weighed in

Dr. John Van der Werffanswered
Dentistry 41 years experience
Probably both: It sounds like you have a tooth problem and a dentist can be helpful with it. It also sounds like you may have a medical problem also... A physician can help you there. You may also need to see a facial pain specialist if your dentist cannot help you with your jaw pain. Best of luck!
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Dr. James Donleyanswered
Dentistry 56 years experience
Dentist: You probably have an abscessed tooth. You need to see a dentist immediately.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

Dr. Gary Sandleranswered
Dentistry 56 years experience
Perhaps both?: There is no way to know for sure without actually examining you. My guess is that you have both a dental and a medical problem, although it is possible that the two are related. If you still have a toothache start with a dentist, otherwise start with a physician but also see a dentist as soon as possible as the cause of the toothache will probably resurface as pain soon!
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Dr. Nishan Odabashiananswered
Endodontics 32 years experience
See Dentist First: People may associate a sore throat w/ a flu/cold or it may be due to a tooth issue. The fact that your jaw hurts, may be a sign that your wisdom tooth is erupting and does not have enough space to erupt. You can get a jaw ache, tooth ache, headache, and tonsillitis from this. So it may be an easier route to see your dentist first. If he/she is unable to see anything they will refer you to your doc.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
5.4k viewsReviewed >2 years ago
Last updated Oct 4, 2016
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