18 Mar 2016 Headaches and My Teeth
We’ve all suffered through that killer headache, but did you ever wonder how that pain in your head could be linked to problems in your mouth?
There can be a strong correlation between headaches and teeth. In other words, your headache just may be a dental problem in disguise. Most people would never think to associate the two, but these examples show the connection.
Sleep Grinder Alert
Take the common condition known as bruxism. Many of us do this, but don’t even realize it. It is the gnashing, grinding or clenching of the teeth, usually done while you’re asleep. The muscles are tensing in the jaw and mouth area, and that can lead to a tension headache. According to the statistics, up to 70% of bruxism is provoked by stress.
Letting an experienced and highly skilled dentist look at your mouth and teeth and listen to your story, can make all the difference in the world. As dentists, we will determine what is causing the headaches and teeth problems. Custom mouth guards appear to offer the best solution to nightly teeth grinding.
Bite Is Off
Another common condition we see that triggers headaches is a poorly aligned bite or even one missing tooth. These can cause the jaw muscles to work overtime to bring the teeth together for chewing, speaking and so forth. Imagine this. We swallow more than 2000 times each day and night, so our jaw, neck, shoulder, back and even our head can become exhausted trying to keep everything in balance as we use our teeth.
If it’s found that the headaches are due to dental stress, then we can suggest fixing the bite.
Then There’s TMJ
Although this disorder sounds like bruxism, it’s a bit different. TMJ stands for Temporomandibular joint, and it’s basically an inflammation or injury to the area where where your lower jaw is hinged to your skull. It is very uncomfortable and painful, as the jaw joint can click and pop, as well as become fatigued, not allowing the mouth to chew easily. The tension can be extreme, and this condition can also lead to bad headaches.
X-rays and a thorough examination will tell us more about the problem. Unique mouthguards are one solution, as well as wearing splints or receiving muscle relaxers to steroid injections.
Headaches and teeth can sometimes relate to each other. You should take action and make an appointment now. Get back to your wonderful quality of life. There is help in many forms, and to sit there and try to figure it out alone just wastes precious time.
We want you to feel better and erase all that tension. A better day is on the way. Just reach out and see us.