If you suffer from headaches every day, especially when you wake up in the morning, you could be suffering from Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD). TMJ headaches are often overlooked or misdiagnosed by physicians. The dentists at Davis Family Dental Care have special experience diagnosing and treating patients who suffer from TMJ headaches and migraines.
How Headaches Relate To Dentistry
One of the most common symptoms that patients with TMJ disorder share are frequent headaches. These “TMJ headaches” often occur in the morning as a result of clenching and grinding during sleep.
Other signs that could indicate TMJ headaches are:
- Facial pain (often in the temporal region or sides of face)
- Pain in the neck and/or older shoulders
- Migraine, or migraine like headaches
- Earache or feeling of fullness in the ears
TMJ Headache Treatment
If you suspect that your headaches are caused by TMJ, teeth grinding or other dental problems, the first step is an evaluation with the dentist. The dentist will review your dental and medical history and examine the fit of your bite and alignment of the TMJ. Depending on your condition, one or several treatments may be recommended. Treatment may include an oral appliance, such as a TMJ mouthguard, and/or bite correction therapy which would solve problems with the alignment of teeth and TMJ joints.
TMJ Mouthguard – A custom removable appliance that is worn during sleep. The purpose of this treatment is to reduce or prevent teeth grinding and clenching and therefore reduce the occurrence of morning headaches.
Bite Correction – Headaches often result from an unbalanced bite. We can often resolve headaches and facial pain by making a series of adjustments to the teeth to bring the bite into proper alignment. This treatment method may include one or several restorative dental procedures such as tooth reshaping, orthodontics, dental crowns, bridges or implants.