Headaches: An Overview
Many people suffer from headaches, but few people know that headaches can be a dental concern. If your bite is misaligned, your chewing and speaking patterns are often thrown off. Additionally, if you grind your teeth at night or experience occasional jaw pain, it is likely due to increased tension in the temporomandibular joint or TMJ.
TMJ Headaches Symptoms
- Pain in the temples or back of the head
- Morning headaches
- Pain in the shoulders, neck, and upper back
- Migraine headaches
- Teeth grinding, teeth clenching
Tension in your jaw muscles can affect your overall oral health and leave you with headaches and other discomforts that impact your daily quality of life. Fortunately, our highly-skilled dentists in Columbia, Maryland offer comprehensive dental solutions all under one roof to provide you with a personalized treatment plan to help relieve your TMJ headaches.
Headache Treatment in Columbia, MD
Headaches caused by dental issues usually begin with a dull pain that you feel on one or both sides of the head. It’s difficult to diagnose a potential trigger for your dental headaches without a thorough evaluation of the current condition of your smile and the function of your bite. This is why we recommend visiting our office at least twice a year. If you’ve been experiencing consistent headaches, mention this at your next appointment.
A cavity or infection can also cause a headache. Missing teeth, or cracked, or loose teeth that throw off your normal bite pattern can lead to tension in the jaw and result in headaches and jaw pain. Our solutions for these issues may include the following:
- Restorative Dentistry – Restorative dentistry includes a variety of solutions like dental implants, crowns, or bridges to replace missing teeth and improve your bite pattern.
- Night guards – To assist with preventing teeth grinding, we may recommend a customized night guard that you can wear while you sleep. This not only protects your teeth from damage but also holds your jaw in a healthy resting position as you sleep.
- TMJ Treatment – For patients with persistent jaw pain, TMJ treatment is recommended to help alleviate these more extreme symptoms.
Headache Therapy FAQs
Can dental problems cause tension headaches?
Dental problems cause headaches in many patients. Most of these headaches are tension aches due to muscle tension in facial or jaw muscles. They can occur due to a misaligned jaw and teeth grinding.
Can a tooth infection cause severe headaches?
Toothaches may progress into migraines if not treated. They are typically only on one side and feel like a throbbing pain. Severe tooth infections are known to cause headaches.
How do you get rid of a toothache headache?
If you are experiencing toothache headaches, the first step is to take an OTC painkiller such as ibuprofen or aspirin. However, this should only be done as a temporary relief while you seek a dental exam and treatment.
Schedule A Dental Exam & Consultation Today
If you’re in or around the Columbia, MD area and experiencing tension headaches, we encourage you to come and visit Columbia Family Dentist. We would be happy to examine you for any dental concerns that could be causing these headaches. Schedule an appointment online today or call our office at 410-670-8211.