San Francisco and Marin CA
Headaches interfere with daily life, reduce productivity and significantly impact a person’s quality of life. If you’re one of the many people who suffer from chronic headaches, maybe you find yourself blaming sinuses, poor posture, too little sleep, dehydration or stress for the pain you feel. No matter the cause, headaches can be debilitating, especially if you’re experiencing them frequently. But what if we told you that the cure for your headache could be as close as your dentist’s office? Follow along today as our San Francisco neuromuscular dentist details how our practice can identify and treat the dental problems that may be behind your chronic headaches.
First, let’s look at common dental problems that can cause headaches or make them worse:
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Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD)
The temporomandibular joints (TMJ) connect your jaw to your skull. They act like sliding hinges to help your mouth open and shut smoothly. When these joints are misaligned or stressed, they can cause pain in the jaw and deep in the ears that radiates to the head, resulting in headaches.
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Bruxism
Bruxism is the unconscious clenching and grinding of teeth during sleep. This wears down teeth over time, overworks the jaw and can lead to muscle tension and pain in the jaw, neck and head, causing headaches.
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Malocclusion
Also referred to as a bad bite, malocclusion is when your teeth are not properly aligned. This can lead to an uneven distribution of pressure when you bite or chew, and the imbalance can strain the jaw muscles and joints, leading to headaches.
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Dental infections
Untreated dental infections, such as abscesses, can cause significant pain and may even lead to headaches. Infections can spread to surrounding tissues, intensifying the discomfort.
How can Glen Park Dental help?
Our Marin TMJ dentist will begin with a thorough exam, using Xrays and digital imaging to assess you for any of the common causes of chronic headaches listed above. Once we’ve identified the underlying problem(s), we tailor a customized treatment plan that may include one or more of the following:
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Orthodontic dentistry
If you have a bad bite (underbite, overbite or crossbite), our TMJ dentist in San Francisco may recommend braces or clear Invisalign aligners to correct your bite.
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TMJ disorder therapy
Only in the most extreme cases do we recommend surgery for TMD. For mild to moderate cases, we recommend oral appliance therapy. We may also suggest myofunctional therapy, which trains the oral muscles how to work and rest properly.
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Bruxism management
The same kind of oral appliances we use for TMD are used to prevent teeth grinding at night, alleviating any associated muscle tension.
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Dental care
We specialize in treating common dental issues, including infections, to help you live a healthy and pain-free life.
Headache relief in the Bay Area
Chronic headaches can have a monumental impact on your life and well-being. You don’t have to live with frequent headaches. Contact Glen Park Dental by calling (415) 799-3900 or reaching us online today.
