A trip to the dentist’s office may be an important step in your efforts to reduce your head pain. Here are two dental conditions that could be aggravating your headache:
Bruxism: Bruxism is defined as grinding and clenching of the teeth, most often during sleeping hours or as a result of stress. When you clench your teeth, this places pressure on the jawbone1 and could lead to headache and fatigue in the muscles around your jaw. Chronic grinding can also cause head pain and could also cause damage to your teeth, jaw and hearing in the long run.
TMD: TMD, or temporomandibular disorder, is a condition of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Typically people with TMD experience pain or tenderness in the jaw, inability to open the mouth completely, difficulty chewing—and, potentially, headache. Bruxism is one cause of TMD. In fact, over half of adults grind their teeth and have TMD, but one in 10 do not even know they have it.1 TMD could also be the result of trauma to the jaw, osteoarthritis, stress and other conditions.
There are several treatment options for TMD including stress management and orthopedic splits. If you suspect your head pain is caused by a dental condition, consider trips to the dentist and a headache specialist.
Do you have TMD and does it affect your headache and migraine? What do you do to relieve the pain?
References:
2. ABC 15.
