Almost everybody experiences a headache at least one time in his or her life and most people will suffer several, some of them severe. While the most common type of headache is the standard tension-type headaches, many chronic headaches may actually stem from dental problems related to malocclusion, or an improper bite. Most people suffering from chronic headaches may not think of visiting a neuromuscular dentist to seek help, but in many situations, headaches and dentistry may be closely related.
Causes of Headaches
There are two major classifications of headache, primary and secondary. Primary headaches are those that do not point to any underlying problem, secondary headaches are typically tied to some other problem.
Tension headaches due to stress are typically treated with over the counter pain medications.
Most headaches are a sign or symptom of some other underlying health problem or condition. Many chronic, or recurring headaches, may not be as easy to take care of as tension headaches and the underlying cause of the headache should be addressed. Some of the main causes of headaches include:
Stress
Congenital condition
Heart condition
Dehydration
Temporomandibular joint disorder
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder
The temporomandibular joint is one of the busiest joints of the body. It is responsible for all jaw movements during eating and speaking. The jaw is also the most powerful lever in the body and is able to exert a tremendous amount of force while chewing.
The jaw is the only joint that can move in three different directions, sliding, side to side, and opening and closing. All this movements may put a tremendous amount of stress on the muscles of the jaw.
When one hinge of the jaw becomes out of balance with the other, the stresses increase and the joint may be adversely affected. This condition is called temporomandibular joint disorder or TMD. One of the leading symptoms of TMD is severe chronic headache. People suffering from chronic headaches that are not corrected by other treatment options may want to visit a neuromuscular dentist for further evaluation.
Other signs and symptoms of TMD include:
Jaw pain
Tinnitus or ringing in the ears
Clicking or popping jaw
Treatment Options
Since TMD is caused by an imbalance of the mechanics of chewing, the neuromuscular dentist is primarily concerned with diagnosis and effectively treating this imbalance. The neuromuscular demist will use advanced jaw scanning technologies to determine what the ideal alignment of the jaw should be and where it currently is. Once the diagnosis is made, a treatment plan to return the jaw to optimal function is formed. Treatment options include one or more of the following:
Eating softer foods
Heat or cold packs
Avoiding excessive jaw movements
Muscle exercises
Mouth guards
Surgery
Most treatment options will move try the most conservative treatment options available first, leaving surgery as a last resort for treatment of TMD.
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