The Connection Between Headaches and Oral Health: Could Your Teeth Be the Cause?

Among the millions of people with persistent headaches, are you? Recurrent headache pain and suffering can ruin your day, usually hurting your career, family, and more, even if you have tried over-the-counter pain medications and other headache treatments.

But did you know your mouth might be the hiding place for the underlying cause of your regular headaches? Sometimes, a headache trigger is apparently unrelated to dental health problems. If you are having similar problems, now may be the right time to consult dental office in Show Low. 

How Your Mouth Can Cause Headaches:

Strong proof exists that oral problems could be a contributing cause of headaches. Dental issues are usually connected to tension headaches, brought on by muscular pressure between the mouth and jaw. Along with tooth discomfort, numerous oral problems listed here can aggravate migraines.

• Teeth Grinding: About thirty to forty million Americans suffer from teeth grinding, sometimes called bruxism. Grasping or clenching your teeth causes morning headaches, strained jaw muscles, and damaged teeth. Your dentist might suggest a custom-made nightguard to help save your teeth and relieve jaw muscle tension.
• Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ): When the ball and socket joint linking your upper and lower jaw malfunctions, temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), sometimes known as TMJ, results. Clicks and pops, when you close your jaw, can result from this, as well as jaw joint pain and muscle control of jaw movement. Certain patients have also been known to get severe headaches from TMJ. Your dentist could advise over-the-counter painkillers or anti-inflammatory meds, a custom-made sleep guard, or dental work to release muscular tension.
• Wisdom Teeth: Wisdom teeth are the ones that are the last adult teeth to enter the mouth. Pain, damage to other teeth, and other dental issues brought on by impacted wisdom teeth can aggravate long-standing headaches. Having their wisdom teeth removed brings relief for most people.
• Toothaches: One kind of pain that originates close to your teeth, gum, or jaws is a toothache. By aggravating the trigeminal nerve, which regulates sensation in the mouth and face, toothaches can induce migraines. 

Proactive Measures for Dental Health and Headaches

Knowing the link between oral health and headaches, here are some actions you could follow to avoid either or lessen these problems:

• Stress Management

Including stress-reducing strategies in your daily life may help avoid dental-related headaches since bruxism and TMJ problems are mostly caused by stress.

• Proper Oral Hygiene

Consistent professional cleanings, brushing, and flossing are the recommended ways to avoid gum disease and tooth decay. A good mouth is not likely to aggravate headaches.

• Mouthguards

Should you have bruxism, your dentist might advise you to wear a personalized mouthguard to prevent grinding of the teeth and jaw, therefore lowering the risk of tension headaches.

• Invisalign

If your headaches are connected to bite or alignment problems, your dentist may suggest Invisalign to fix the problem, so possibly reducing headache symptoms.

• Botox

Botox has been demonstrated as a successful treatment for TMD and chronic migraines. And, perhaps not unexpectedly, considering the relationships we have covered in this essay, dentists are typically qualified and educated to administer Botox injections for persistent pain.

Conclusion

Although your first focus should be on temporary pain relief, you should also make an appointment with your dentist to treat the underlying problem and prevent its aggravation. Your toothaches could be connected to typical dental issues like gum disease, tooth decay, and misaligned teeth. Reducing your risk of toothaches mostly depends on regular visits and cleanings, implementing advised therapy, and practicing proper oral hygiene.