Adult
Tension headaches, the most common form of headaches, often occur due to strain in the muscles surrounding your head, jaw, and neck. The pain that results from these headaches can range from mild to severe and manifests on one or both sides of the head near the temples. Tension headaches can also cause a throbbing sensation around the head and cause light and sound hypersensitivity. Other causes of headaches include fatigue, eyestrain, stress, lack of sleep, malnutrition, and poor posture, among others.
What Causes Dental Headaches?
-Muscle Strain
Humans have two temporomandibular joints, responsible for connecting our jaws to our skulls. These joints enable opening and closing movements and allow us to chew and speak. Pain can often occur in these joints due to incorrect or overuse and move up to the skull, causing a headache. Repeated clenching your jaw and grinding your teeth can strain the muscles leading to pain. People often do this while sleeping. The telltale signs that you may be grinding your teeth are:
- Sensitivity
- Flattened or broken teeth
- Face and jaw soreness
- Earache
-Bite Issues
Another potential cause could be an issue with your bite. When the surface of your top and bottom teeth do not touch accordingly when the jaws are shut, it can cause the overexertion of the muscles that make up your mandible, leading to pain. This pain can radiate to your head, creating a headache.
-Toothaches
Headaches can also be triggered as the result of very severe tooth pain, which is usually caused by affected nerves. Cavities, impacted teeth, wisdom teeth, periodontal disease, and oral infections can also lead to pain that radiates towards the skull. If this is the case, an oral exam will allow your dentist to thoroughly check your teeth for any potential issues and help treat them.
Treatment
The most crucial part of treating headaches is determining the root cause of the problem. If you think your headaches are the result of one or more of the previously discussed issues, we encourage you to book an appointment with our Plantation dentists or Tamarac dentists as soon as possible. Our expert team will carefully conduct an oral exam and perhaps order some X-ray images to help identify any issues and create a plan to treat your condition proactively.
If teeth grinding is a possible culprit for your headaches, many devices exist to prevent further damage, especially while sleeping. Dental treatments such as braces and surgery may also be necessary to correct a problematic bite. Assuming the problem is an impacted wisdom tooth, we also offer wisdom teeth removal services.
We understand that stress could be potentially exacerbating your headaches as well. In this case, we recommend reevaluating your habits and maybe adopting some lifestyle changes. Try to actively relax your jaw throughout the day, practice yoga and meditation exercises, give routine yourself small breaks. These small adjustments can sometimes have the most beneficial and significant effects on our daily lives. And remember, we are here to help.
March 26, 2021