San Francisco and Marin CA
Headaches have a way of ruining a day, especially when you wake up with one. Most times, people who suffer from chronic headaches or migraines try to pinpoint certain medical conditions that could be causing them. They tend to overlook dental problems as a potential cause, but it’s entirely possible that your dental health is behind your constant, nagging headaches. Grinding/clenching teeth, a disorder of the jaw joints, sleep apnea, a misaligned bite or tooth damage and/or infections are all dental issues that can trigger debilitating headaches and migraines.
Let’s take a look today at some potential causes for headaches. If you think you may identify with one or more, be sure to contact our Bay Area dentist office to schedule a consultation as soon as possible.
Bruxism
Bruxism is the unconscious grinding or clenching of teeth, usually at night. Not only can Bruxism damage and wear down teeth, but it also overworks the jaw muscle, often leading to pain in the jaw, neck, face or head.
Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder
Bruxism is a common symptom of TMJ disorder, which is a condition that affects the “hinge” joints just in front of your ears that slide when you open and close your mouth. People with a jaw joint disorder often complain of jaw soreness and pain or ringing deep in the ears. TMJ disorder can also cause toothaches and headaches.
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
Sleep apnea is a common and dangerous sleeping disorder that causes someone to stop breathing for periods of time, usually several times per night, while sleeping. Sleep apnea is caused when throat tissue makes the airway become blocked. This often leads to snoring or other negative sleep behaviors. OSA can cause chronic headaches and migraines, too.
Tooth issues
Teeth that are decayed, fractured, chipped, broken or infected can cause pain down to the tooth’s pulp, reaching the trigeminal nerve.
The cranial trigeminal nerve is a nerve that stretches across the face, from the forehead and cheek to the lower jaw. The trigeminal nerve is able to carry pain from one place to an entirely different place along the nerve. Pain felt in the jaw, then, can travel to other parts of the head or face, causing headaches and migraines.
Headache Relief in the Bay Area
If you feel you’ve reached the end of your rope trying to find a source of your nagging headaches, maybe it’s time to speak with your San Francisco dentist about issues that could potentially be leading to the problems. Call our Bay Area family dentist at Glen Park Dental at (415) 799-3900 or reach out to us online today.
