Are My Teeth Causing My Migraines?

San Antonio, Texas

As peculiar as it may sound, your teeth may be causing your migraine-like headaches.  More specifically, misalignment of the teeth or jaw, or muscle restriction in the jaw may be the catalyst.  While medical science has long known that infections in the mouth can spread, causing illness in other parts of the body, many physicians and some dental practitioners are still unaware of how much impact dental problems can have on the body as a whole.

Studies have shown that poor orthodontics in childhood can lead to considerably worse health issues in adulthood.  One of these studies featured a woman with a severe overbite.  As we learned in the old “this bone is connected to that bone” song of our childhood, we know that the skull and spine are connected.  Without getting technical, the vertebrae in the spine can be compressed when there is a deep over bite.  One compression leads to another which can lead to tension and twisting in the skull membrane which can lead to migraine-like headaches.  And there you have it.  Teeth can cause migraines.

Of course, lifestyle, job environment, diet and other health problems can also be contributing factors to migraine-like headaches, but in this case, we’re just talking about the dental connection.

If the woman in the study mentioned above had received better dental care when she was a child, it is quite likely that she could have avoided at least part of the reason for her severe migraines later in life.  Orthopedic appliances can be designed to realign the jaw, thus eliminating the compression on the vertebrae in the upper back and neck area.  This, in turn, would eliminate the tension and twisting of the skull membrane and relieve the migraines.

Another type of dental problem that can cause migraines is known as TMJ (temporomandibular joint syndrome) or TMD (temporomandibular joint disorder).  When the jaw joint develops problems, the results can be varied:

• Pain in the jaw joints
• Limited ability to open the mouth
• Cracking or popping in the joints when opening and closing the mouth
• Headaches (mild to severe)
• Pain in the teeth, jaw or face
• Pain in the neck, shoulders or back
• Worn or cracked teeth
• Broken teeth not related to specific incident
• Sensitive or painful teeth
• Ringing in the ears

Some of these symptoms could indicate ailments other than TMJ/TMD, of course, but if you are seeing your dentist regularly, he or she will be able to diagnose your issues appropriately.  If that diagnosis indicates that a misalignment of the jaw or teeth is the reason for your moderate to severe (but constantly recurring) headaches, your dentist might prescribed treatment ranging from crowns to braces or even surgery.

Next time your migraine comes back, stop and think about your teeth for a moment.  Maybe it’s time you visited your dentist and explained the problem.  Your teeth could be causing your migraine.

If you suffer from migraines in San Antonio or the surrounding area, please contact us today.