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Headaches – Caused By Dental Problems
Headaches
Caused By Dental Problems
According to the American Headache Foundation (AHF), headaches are accepted as part of life for more than 45 million Americans. Chronic and episodic tension headaches are highly prevalent having a significant functional impact at work, home, and school.
Unsuccessfully treated headaches force people to turn from doctors to chiropractors to physical therapists in search of a diagnosis and relief from their pain. Many sufferers of chronic headache and facial pain wonder if theyll ever find long-term relief. Those whose symptoms are mild and infrequent may not even question the source.
Is it possible that headaches
could be derived from a
dental problem?
A large number of cases involving headache, muscle spasms and jaw joint pain are dental related. There is a very delicate and intricate relationship between the proper bite and the muscles and nerves of the jaw joint.
For a large number of patients, the problem and its solution revolve around one of the most complex joints of the body, the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The joint works like a hinge, allowing the opening and closing of your mouth. When the balance of the bones, cartilage, and muscles in this joint is lost, it can lead to a condition known as temporomandibular disorder (TMD).
TMD is a cycle of pain, muscle spasms, and poor functioning of the joint. It can be started by clenching or grinding the teeth, a blow to the joint, arthritis, emotional stress, or a bad bite.
A problem bite often exists when teeth are missing, misaligned, or worn down. This can prevent the upper teeth from meshing correctly with the lower teeth, forcing the jaw to shift position. The muscles have to work harder than they should to bring the teeth together, possibly causing significant facial pain and headaches.
Besides headaches, other symptoms may include earaches, pain behind the eyes, ringing in the ears, tingling hands, worn teeth, painful muscles in the face, neck, and shoulders, difficulty opening and closing the mouth, clicking or popping in the joint, dull aching pain around the ear that spreads into the face, sore or painful face and jaw muscles. Some symptoms can be reduced by breaking the cycle of TMD. Reducing a persons stress will often reduce clenching and grinding.
Muscle spasms and pain can be alleviated by applying moist heat, inflammation-reducing drugs and muscle relaxants, muscle massage, and a soft diet. Remember that pain is not a disease or the cause, it is a sign that something is wrong. Treat the cause dont just mask the symptoms.
Most TMDs are treatable. Treatment begins with an analysis of your bite to identify any problems.
Then, you may wear a custom-made bite splint called an orthotic to relax the muscles, restore balance to the joint, and stabilize the bite. Once your bite is stable, it can be corrected more definitively. Depending on your case, you may wear a durable long-term orthotic, have missing teeth replaced, correct your bite with braces, or realign your bite with crowns and veneers. With treatment, TMD pain can be relieved or managed and harmony restored to the teeth, muscles, and jaw joint.
If you are having frequent headaches or migraines, it is well worth your time to explore the possibility that your bite may be the cause.
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