What Are Dental Dental Headaches and What Can Cause Them?

How Dental Problems Can Cause Frequent Headaches

There is nothing more painful, inconvenient, and disruptive than experiencing frequent headaches. The chances are that you’ll visit your family doctor to figure out the cause. In some circumstances, however, did you know that frequent headaches can even be treated by your dentist or orthodontist? This is where a dental headache comes into the picture because the problem you face may actually be attributed to a dental issue that you could be suffering from.

In this article, we’ll explore further about dental headaches and what causes them.

Dental headache in a nutshell

A headache is a common condition that most people will experience in their lives. The usual symptom is a pain in the head or face, which can often cause throbbing, constant, sharp, or dull sensations. For this reason, the pain may vary from mildly irritating to unrelentingly painful.

There are also various types of headaches that you should know about. One example is a tension headache, where most dental headaches can be classified under. A dental headache is brought by the muscular tension in the region of the face and jaw, which is a symptom of malocclusion, commonly known as a bad bite.

Causes of dental headache

A bad bite can be caused by a handful of factors, such as past dental works, or most commonly, wisdom teeth. This condition essentially occurs when your teeth’s chewing surfaces do not meet along a smooth curve when your jaw is closed. As a result, the muscles in your jaw have to overcompensate for the imbalance, and that causes you to experience soreness and pain radiating through your head.

Impact of referred pain

The radiating pain is the main reason that a headache can be difficult to address. This is primarily because it can be quite hard to track the origin of the pain due to the nerve structure’s complexity in your head. Oftentimes, your brain will refer the pain to other locations in your skull, which is why the referred pain may mislead your doctor or dentist and compromise your diagnosis and treatment.

For instance, you may think that you are experiencing pain in the temple region of your head, yet the actual origin may be in the musculature around the jaw due to an improper bite.

Common dental problems causing dental headaches

When it comes to frequent dental headaches, two common dental problems may surface:

  • Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJD): This disorder involves problems with the jaw, jaw joint, and surrounding facial muscles. The condition may be caused by various reasons, such as joint injury, whiplash, and even extending your mouth wide for too long. If you notice frequent “popping” or “clicking” noises from your jaw, the headaches may have to do with TMJD.

  • Teeth grinding (Bruxism): Bruxism is a condition in which you grind, gnash, or clench your teeth unconsciously, mostly during your sleep. If you wake with a headache that goes away shortly after rising, you may be grinding your teeth.

Conclusions on dental headaches

At this point, you now know how dental problems can actually cause frequent headaches, such as malocclusion or conditions like TMJD and Bruxism. Ultimately, it’s best to see your dentist or orthodontist to track the underlying cause of dental headaches and get a proper diagnosis. With the remedy that professionals offer, you’ll be able to live your life without much worry of experiencing frequent headaches.

Are you looking to address your dental headaches? Let our team of orthodontic professionals handle your case! We offer orthodontic treatments in the Gold Coast, along with initial consultation, retention programs, and dental monitoring. Get in touch with us today to schedule an appointment and experience our world-class dental services!