Over 39 million Americans, including both adults and children, are affected by chronic migraines, and currently there is no cure. In order to help educate the public on the reality of this painful condition, our Buckhead dental office observes National Migraine & Headache Awareness Month every June. But why is a dentist talking about migraines? What do they have to do with dentistry? Let’s find out…
Identifying a Migraine
Even though migraines are often be referred to as headaches, or headaches referred to as migraines, there is a difference between the two. Commonly headaches that are referred to as migraines are often muscle tension headaches that are not true migraines. Although both share the common symptom of an uncomfortable, painful sensation in the head, there are several things to look for that can help differentiate the two.
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The Connection Between Migraines & Dentistry
Although there is no one, absolute cause of migraines, studies have shown a connection between a poor bite and chronic headaches. How is this possible? When we look at the anatomy of the head as a whole, we can see that there is a complex weave of muscles between the head and the jaw. So when the top jaw doesn’t align well with the bottom jaw, too much pressure is put on the muscles in that area and they can become strained. When this happens, the pain may not necessarily be felt in the jaw itself (although it can be), but rather in the head as muscle pain. If you clench or grind your teeth often your jaw muscles will again be put under abnormal pressure and, you guessed, you can get a headache.
Many headache sufferers have found relief through dental intervention. To see if that may be an option for you, start by scheduling an appointment at our dental office in Buckhead. This appointment will allow us to check for any signs or a poor bite or bruxism to determine if this may be the cause of your headaches. From there, we will discuss your treatment options and recommend the best solution for you. Don’t keep suffering from headache pain, give us a call today.