Did you know that there are sometimes dental reasons for getting headaches?
There are many types of headache and many causes for them also. A lot of the time they are caused by dehydration or stress. There are some rare causes of headaches, but in this blog we are going to look at one of the common causes that we see in dental practice.
Have you ever noticed that when you are stressed, it is often associated with headaches?
Muscle tension and clenching of the teeth is a common result of feeling tense. The physical action of clenching your teeth or sometimes even grinding them, puts extra strain on your mouth closing muscles. These muscles are not designed to be used all day long. They are designed to help you open and close your mouth to eat, breath, talk and sing.
If you are clenching your teeth it is often done at night, when you are not aware that you are doing it, (but not always.) You could be putting extreme forces on your teeth for hours on end, with the result that you could end up with pain in the teeth, muscles and joints. This is often interpreted as a headache or sometimes ear ache. This condition is referred to as Tempero-mandibular Disorder (TMD).
If you are aware that you are getting recurrent headaches and are not sure why you are getting them, have a chat with your dentist.
If it looks like there is a connection with grinding or clenching your teeth, it may be possible to make a simple appliance that may aid your symptoms. There may be worn teeth or restorations that may be catching in the normal bite position. Small adjustments can sometimes rectify this.
Its good to talk. If we know you are having problems, we may be able to help.
