Most people don’t naturally assume that their oral health could be the cause of chronic headaches. But if you consistently get tension headaches throughout the day, your bite could be the culprit. Whether you’re grinding your teeth at night, suffering from misalignment, or have damage to your teeth, seeking proper dental care may help reduce your headaches. Contact your dentist today for headache treatment in Frederick, MD, and treatment for other symptoms of bite problems or TMJ disorder.
Headache Treatment Through Dental Care
There are many ways your bite can cause tension headaches. Our teeth, gums, and jaws are crucial to everyday tasks such as talking, chewing, and even sleeping. If there’s a problem with your bite, it can lead to TMJ disorders. Fixing your bite as soon as you start noticing symptoms of TMJ (such as headaches) can help keep you healthy and comfortable.
Night Grinding
One of the most common causes of tension or temporal headaches is clenching and grinding your teeth at night. The body is meant to naturally relax as you sleep. But for many who suffer from stress, the jaws will involuntarily clench at night instead. This causes tension throughout your entire head and can lead to weakened teeth from the pressure of teeth grinding.
Our dental care team will make a custom night guard from a dental impression in our Frederick dental office. The custom guard is designed to fit comfortably in your mouth at night and act as a buffer between your upper and lower jaws. By creating additional space and softening the impact, night guards reduce the tension from grinding and can relieve your headaches.
Missing or Broken Teeth
Every bone and muscle in your mouth works cohesively to keep you talking and chewing healthily. If one part is damaged or missing, it can affect everything else. A missing or damaged tooth can drastically shift your bite’s effectiveness. This means the rest of your mouth must work harder to compensate for it. And as your jaw works more, it can lead to added tension that contributes to headache frequency.
Seeing a restorative dentist can help fix your bite and relieve that tension. Restorative dentistry, such as implants, bonding, and crowns, can replace missing teeth and restore damage caused by chips or fractures. Even if the teeth aren’t in your visible smile, it’s still crucial that they are strong and healthy so they can help support the rest of your mouth.
Misalignment
Our mouths are designed for our teeth to match up when we bite. Misalignment can throw our bite off, putting added pressure on certain parts of our jaws. Not only does this impact tooth and gum health, but it also adds additional tension to our jaws with each bite we take. Orthodontic treatments like Invisalign can help realign your teeth for a better, healthier bite.
If you suffer from frequent tension headaches, your answer may be in your mouth. The rest of our body can suffer if our bite isn’t healthy. At the Frederick Center for Dentistry, we understand how crucial oral health is to your overall well-being. Call us today at 301-264-5680 to make an appointment and learn more about our headache treatment in Frederick, MD.