Did you know that dental problems can create headaches? If you experience chronic headaches or migraines, the cause of your pain could be your teeth or TMJ. There are several common problems with headaches as symptoms. We welcome patients to learn the links between their oral health and frequent headaches.
Our Pomona, NY office can help diagnose patients’ dental problems and address headaches as a result. Addressing these dental problems not only stops headaches but can protect teeth from dental infections and damage.
Dental Problems and Headaches in Pomona, NY
Some of the most common dental issues are linked to headaches and migraines. Learn how your dental health could be connected to symptoms like headaches:
Tooth Damage
If tooth damage reaches the dental pulp, pain can spread throughout the body, creating headache symptoms. A chip or crack in the tooth can expose the tooth’s nerves. These nerves can not only create pain in the tooth but also on your temples and at the top of your head.
Dental bonding can cover tooth fractures with malleable, tooth-colored materials. However, we will often recommend dental crowns to cover the teeth fully. Crowns are caps that strengthen teeth and create a more balanced smile. Dental crowns are also color-matched like other restorations for a natural look.
Tooth Decay
Bacteria are a natural part of the smile. Healthy bacteria can help prevent problems like decay. However, harmful bacteria lead to dental infections. When harmful bacteria affect teeth, they can create tooth abscesses. A dental abscess is an infection that develops near the tooth root.
Severe tooth decay can cause pain and throbbing headaches. Dental infections can reach nerves like the trigeminal nerve, which sends signals like pain from the face to the brain.
There are a variety of treatments for tooth decay, from draining tooth abscesses to removing the dental pulp from within teeth to dental extraction. We will examine your smile to help determine which treatment will address your infection and relieve pain.
TMJ Disorders
TMD can occur if there is stress or damage to the temporomandibular joints that connect the skull to the jaw bone. Patients with temporomandibular joint disorders can experience symptoms like teeth clenching and grinding, jaw pain, and headaches. The TMJ are close to areas where patients often experience headaches. Pain in these joints or pain from clenching and grinding can create headaches.
Wearing a nightguard not only helps stop headaches but also protects teeth from further damage. In addition to wearing a nightguard, we may also recommend physical therapy. During physical therapy, patients learn exercises that stretch the muscles in the face, shoulders, and jaw.
Relaxing and working these muscles helps relieve tension. Patients may also need to stick to a soft diet for several weeks to give the joints a break and prevent pain in the jaw area.
Do you have headaches in addition to your dental problems? Your oral health may be the cause. Call Dr. Auster for treatment today at (845) 241-0656 or schedule a dental appointment with him online.