Can Oral Health Problems Cause Headaches?

Have you been suffering from frequent headaches? Pounding pain in your head can be debilitating. It can stem from a number of health problems, including issues with your teeth.

If you have been neglecting your dental health, you may have developed problems with your smile that created extensive symptoms, including headaches. Schedule an appointment with your dentist to see if your headaches could be caused by one of several dental concerns. Read on to find three dental problems that may lead to recurring headaches.

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Chronic Teeth Grinding

Grinding and clenching your teeth is a largely unconscious habit that can develop for a number of reasons, including stress. This action generates pressure as the top teeth grate against the bottom teeth.

The pressure can extend from the teeth to the jaw and then radiate through the facial muscles. The tension will cause muscles to tighten, which may lead to temporomandibular joint disorders or TMJ.

Not only can TMJ lead to difficulties in the jaw, but it can cause pain in the head, ears, and the rest of the face too. If you talk to your dentist about treating teeth grinding and TMJ, you can resolve chronic headaches and other symptoms linked to this disorder.

Your dentist may suggest stress relief activities that will address teeth grinding. They may also give you a custom-made mouthguard to wear as you sleep. This can cushion teeth and therefore the jaw and associated muscles against pressure stemming from teeth grinding and clenching.

Bite Problems

Teeth grinding is not the only cause of TMJ. Crooked, overlapping, or otherwise misaligned teeth may lead to bite problems. If you cannot close your mouth properly, you might have an unbalanced amount of pressure on your teeth when you perform an oral function.

These bite problems can lead to TMJ and therefore chronic headaches. Your dentist can help you straighten your teeth to amend your bite and get rid of the tension that causes these headaches. They can provide you with Invisalign aligners that will gradually reposition your teeth to create an even and beautiful smile.

Severe Tooth Decay

Many people have experienced cavities before, which can leave you with tooth sensitivity pain as it affects the outer layer of your tooth. If you do not receive prompt treatment for a cavity, the tooth decay can penetrate deeper into the tooth.

The decay can inflame the nerves of the tooth, which can mean you feel pain spread to your head too. Seek urgent care from your dentist for any signs of tooth pain to avoid this kind of severe decay.

While your dentist can treat cavities with a dental filling, they may need to protect a larger portion of your tooth after drilling away advanced decay. They can give you a dental crown to cover the affected tooth in this case. If a decayed tooth becomes infected, you may need root canal therapy to treat the tooth. This treatment will also conclude with a crown to shield the tooth.