Dental Problems and Headaches

If you do a quick search on 'Headaches', you'll find a wealth of information about the cause or trigger of them: hormonal shifts, dietary choices, scents, alcohol, etc

Within the realm of dentistry alone, there could also be various reasons why you may be experiencing a headache. Read about some of them down below.

Grinding Teeth (bruxism) or Clenching Jaw

It goes without saying that if we're clenching our jaw (e.g. due to stress or concentration), then tension can arise in our neck, head and shoulders, causing muscular pain. Even when we're grinding our teeth unknowingly at night, our muscles are working through it all - so it can lead to a headache during the day. Furthermore, consider the possibility that you're grinding and/or clenching at night, every night. Some lucky individuals are more or less asymptomatic (that is, symptom-free). Others may experience chronic headaches and don't know why. Either way, when we conduct Complete Oral Exams, there are telltale signs we look for in your mouth, so if we see any signs of bruxism, we'll let you know - and offer up potential solutions.

Malocclusion (crooked teeth)

Many people assume that braces are aesthetic procedures that serve only to make a smile look nice - and will use this reason to either go ahead with orthodontic treatment or decline. In reality, the beautifully aligned smile is often just a side-effect of having braces - function really takes top priority. Let's back-track a bit.

Having a perfect set of teeth allows for even distribution of biting forces when we chew - so that there isn't a select few taking the brunt of the force - in a perfect smile, all the teeth are doing their part. When this is not the case, some teeth get all the pressure while other teeth don't bear any force. This results in surrounding muscles trying to help out, they end up overcompensating and that can lead to soreness, tension and headaches.

TMJD (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder)

The temporomandibular joint is the 'hinge' that connects your skull to your lower jaw and can sometimes be the source of clicking and/or pain. Sometimes the pain feels like it travels to the head or that it is so intense that it brings on a headache.

While they are all different dental issues, malocclusion, bruxism and TMJD can con-exist, so it's important to accurately have your dental problems diagnosed. Call our office today for your first examination: (416) 226-6688.

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