Besides reaching out for a pain killer, you should consider scheduling a visit to your dentist if you suffer from frequent headaches. Headaches are often caused by issues relating to your teeth and jaw. One way to prevent frequent headaches is to visit your dentist regularly. If you suffer from frequent headaches, it is important to ask your dentist to check if it is caused by tooth and jaw problems.
What’s the Cause?
Dental headaches or tooth related headaches are caused by wisdom teeth, bite problems, teeth grinding and, jaw clenching. Bite problems are caused when you have misaligned teeth or if some of your teeth are missing. Jaw muscles work hard to bring upper and lower sets of teeth together when you speak and eat. The stress on the muscles of the jaw is greater when teeth are misaligned and jaw muscle stress triggers a headache. When wisdom teeth or impacted teeth erupt, they shift other teeth and cause problems with your bite. Problems with your bite will cause headaches. If you clench your teeth when you are anxious or stressed, your jaw muscles are also stressed. This causes a headache. If you unconsciously grind your teeth at night while you sleep or make your jaw work overtime by chewing gum, your tired jaw triggers a headache.
What are the Symptoms?
Dental headaches are symptoms. They warn you that you have a dental problem that needs to be addressed. When you get a tooth-related headache, you not only feel a throbbing in your head but also find your jaw is tired or sore when you wake up. You may also hear a clicking or popping sound from your jaw joints when you try to eat or speak. You may also feel pain when you touch your head or scalp. If your headache is caused by clenching your jaw or grinding your teeth, you will wake up with a sensitive feeling in your teeth or, your teeth will be broken, loose, chipped or, flat. Sometimes you will wake up with a headache and an earache though you don’t have a cold or other earache related symptoms.
How to Prevent it?
You can prevent teeth-related headaches by regular visits to your dentist. Treatments for teeth related headaches include relaxation to prevent mental stress-related teeth grinding and jaw clenching, a soft diet, dental physiotherapy, applying hot compresses, getting dental cavities filled, getting mouth splints or bite guards fitted by the dentist to prevent clenching and grinding, orthodontic treatments to correct your teeth alignment and bite, getting crowns or bridges placed to replace missing teeth and, getting dental implants surgically placed to permanently replace missing teeth. Sometimes dentists will surgically correct the alignment of your jaw to treat teeth-related headaches. If the headache is caused by wisdom teeth, the extraction of the impacted tooth will prevent headaches from recurring. Some dentists prescribe medications to give patients temporary relief from teeth-related headaches. They also prescribe hormone replacement therapy to relieve tooth related headaches for female patients.
Start at Your San Marcos Family Dentist
Not all headaches are caused by problems related to your teeth and jaw. But when you wake up with a headache, seeking a dental examination is a great place to start looking for treatment. If you live in San Marcos, TX, come stop by the dental practice of Larry D. Molenda, D.D.S. for a tooth and jaw examination. We’ll help you on your way towards getting rid of your headaches for good!
