If you have regularly occurring headaches, you know how debilitating they can be. Headaches interrupt so many areas of our lives and can make working, playing, and even relaxing difficult. Even more frustrating is not knowing the cause.
Did you know your dentist can help stop your headaches? Many times, this pain comes from muscle strain that develops in the mouth and jaw. To learn the cause of your headaches, visit a dentist near you today.
Our Sacramento dentist, Dr. Timothy Mickiewicz, has years of experience treating patients suffering from headache pain. Continue reading this blog to learn what he has discovered about the connection between oral health and headaches.
Symptoms
Headaches that derive from the mouth and jaw may be accompanied by these signs:
- Sore or tired jaw muscles
- Pain behind the eyes
- Teeth grinding
- Clicking or popping in the jaw joints
- A head or scalp that’s painful to the touch
Potential Headache Causes
In rare cases, severe cavities and infections can lead to headaches, but most often patients complain about dull pain that is a tension headache.
This is commonly caused by:
- Malocclusion: Also referred to as a bad bite, malocclusion simply means that the chewing surfaces of the teeth do not line up properly when the jaw is shut. The muscles in the jaw will overcompensate for the imbalance and cause pain and soreness that spreads throughout the head.
- TMJ Disorder: Temporomandibular Joint Disorder is most often due to an injury to the jaw from sports trauma to opening your mouth too wide.
- Bruxism: Teeth grinding puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the jaws. Most people grind their teeth at night, so they are unaware that they are even doing it. There are several symptoms of bruxism, and headaches are one of the most common.
Treatments
After your dentist performs a comprehensive exam of your face, mouth, and jaws, and reviews your medical history, he will create an effective treatment plan. It’s extremely important to choose a dentist who has completed years of research and experience in treating dental headaches. This ensures you are receiving the most effective and accurate care.
Dr. Mick is passionate about ridding the world of pain. That passion has driven him to complete extensive amounts of research and training over the past 25 years. He often leads his peers in the management of dental and orofacial pain.
Treatments for dental headaches include:
- Orthodontics: Malocclusion is regularly treated by orthodontic treatments such as braces or Invisalign® clear aligners.
- Oral appliances: A custom-made appliance stops teeth grinding and reinforces the correct alignment of the jaws.
- Trigger Point Injections (TPI): The dentist will administer local anesthesia, saline or corticosteroids into specified muscles to relieve pain.
- Physical Therapy: A trained therapist can teach techniques that relax the muscles that may be causing your headaches.
- Medication: In severe cases, your dentist may also prescribe medications to ease symptoms and treat underlying causes.
- BOTOX®: These injections weaken overactive muscles to diminish spasms that are common in TMJ disorder.
Find an Experienced Dentist Today
To find the best dentist to help relieve your dental headaches, look at the online reviews. Check out this review from one of our happy patients:
“I have had headache issues for the last 3 years. Every morning greeted me with a headache. I’ve been to many doctors and have had many x-rays and cat scans of my head and neck. I was treated for migraines and neck issues. Nothing worked. I went to Dr. Mickiewicz two months ago and his diagnosis was TMJ. He fitted me with an appliance and the results are amazing… I am now waking up without headaches… Thanks Dr. Mick!” – Lily S.
Call our Sacramento office at (916) 469-9178 to schedule an initial consultation today.
