Possible Dental Causes of Headaches

Headaches can be classified into three categories: muscle contraction (tension) headaches, vascular (migraine, cluster) headaches, and traction-inflammatory (secondary) headaches. 9 out of 10 headaches result from tension-type which is often mistakenly believed to be caused by psychological tension (depression, anxiety, nervousness).

The pathophysiology of the majority of headaches is tension of muscle contraction from the neck, head, face, and jaw.

The following are signs that your headaches might have a dental origin: clicking, popping jaw joint(s), soreness/tired joint(s) in the morning, teeth grinding, jaw clenching, moderate to severe tooth wear, back or shoulder pain. If you have an unstable bite, every time your teeth come together during functional chewing, swallowing (over 2000 times per day), and parafunctional movements as described above, the facial muscles have to work extra hard and as a result become strained. When muscles are in constant strain, tension headaches occur.

PFCD dentists are well trained to help patients overcome or prevent pain related to unstable bite. A Splint Guard Therapy Device can be fabricated in-house to stabilize the teeth, making certain that every time the upper and lower dental arches come together, this device distributes the force evenly among all teeth. This is a reversible process, and the most conservative therapy available. Once the patients feel comfortable with the appliance, further dental treatment can be done to duplicate the bite already established.

For information on this topic, or any topic of dental interest, please see our website at www.myParkDental.com or call us at (239) 263-1151.