Having Headaches? You May Want To Talk To Our Dentists
Everybody gets headaches sometimes, but not everyone wakes up morning after morning with another headache.
Not everyone gets headaches that make it difficult to focus on ordinary tasks at work. Not everyone gets headaches that make you want to retreat to a dark, quiet room rather than spending time with your family and friends.
If you are having these kinds of headaches, you may have already tried remedies that have been temporarily effective or that don’t seem to work at all. It’s possible your headaches could be a symptom of a TMJ disorder. If they are, then you may want to call our dentist office in Tulsa, OK, at (918) 496-8010. You can also request an appointment by filling out our online form.
If you do have a TMJ disorder, then our team at Galleria of Smiles wants to help.
Your Jaw Could Be The Source Of Your Headaches
Put your hands on the sides of your face just below your ears. Now, open and close your mouth. You will likely be able to feel joints moving as you do this.
These are your temporomandibular joints, or TMJ for short. These joints allow you to move your lower jaw (or mandible) up and down. At least, that’s what they are supposed to do.
When you have a problem with one or both of these joints, it can lead to a variety of issues — including frequent headaches or earaches.
TMJ disorders can develop for a variety of reasons. An injury to your jaw can affect its alignment and how it moves. Arthritis or illnesses can cause inflammation or stiffness of your joints.
You also can have TMJ disorders as a result of teeth grinding or clenching your teeth. The problem is you can do this without realizing it. In fact, millions of people do this in their sleep, which explains why millions of people also wake up with headaches and earaches far more often than they would like.
Your TMJ could be a result of any of the factors mentioned above or a combination of multiple factors at the same time.
People who don’t have TMJ problems may not understand how severe these headaches, earaches, as well as jaw and facial pains can be. You may have times when eating is painful or you feel like you can’t open or close your jaw completely.
If you are experiencing headaches along with any of these other symptoms, then we hope you will make time to visit with us soon.
Treating Your TMJ Could Alleviate Your Headache Pain
If you come to Galleria of Smiles looking for help with your headaches, we can conduct a neuromuscular exam to determine if you have a TMJ disorder. If so, we may use one or more of the following treatments.
◾ Nightguard treatment
If you grind your teeth in your sleep, a nightguard may just what you need. Our nightguards are custom-made for each patient. By putting one in before you fall asleep, you will be creating a barrier to prevent your top and bottom teeth from grinding into one another.
At the same time, you will be alleviating the pressure that comes with that grinding or clenching so you can start waking up without the pains of headaches.
◾ Orthodontic treatment
For patients whose TMJ is the result of a bad bite, orthodontic care may be the best solution. When your bite is off, this can affect how you move your jaw, which can make other issues worse. By getting your bite in line, you could correct issues with your jaw, too.
◾ TENS treatment
TENS treatment uses electrical pulses to gently encourage the muscles around your jaw to relax. When we create your nightguard, we want to make one that is based on your jaw being in this relaxed state.
Call Us Today If Your Headaches Won’t Go Away
At Galleria of Smiles, we never want to see any patient suffer. If we can alleviate your pain, then we want to help whenever we can.
To find out if our TMJ treatments could help you, schedule an appointment with us soon. Call our Tulsa office at (918) 496-8010 or contact us online.
