Dental-Related Headaches

Healthcare - Health Tips - Dental Health

by Capt. Mark Vance
Fort Knox, Ky., Dental Activity

An average person swallows 2,000 times per day, causing the upper and lower teeth to come together and push against the skull.

People who have poorly aligned bites or missing teeth can have related health problems, such as frequent headaches or sleep disorders, because their jaw muscles are strained, according to a recent article in AGD Impact, the news magazine of the Academy of General Dentistry.

This strain, known as orofacial pain, is defined as any pain in and around the face. Some people may experience pain in the ears, eyes, sinuses, cheeks or side of the head, while others experience clicking when moving the jaw.

Orofacial pain can also be caused by nerve disorders, temperomandibular disorder, stress or muscle spasms. Serious causes of orofacial pain are tumors in the jawbone area, oral cancer or referred pain from cardiac disease.

At the first sign of discomfort or noted abnormality when closing your mouth, see your general dentist to have a preliminary evaluation to disclose any potential problems early. He or she knows your mouth best and how you handle daily stress.

Sometimes the pain may be difficult to diagnose if its origin is not localized in one area. The dentist will try to diagnose the pain source by conducting tests to rule out a cracked tooth, the need for a root canal, gum disease, clenching or grinding. These factors can cause pain in the facial area, but can be easily treated.

Orofacial pain that lasts longer than 10 days to two weeks, or is not related to a specific stressful event such as a car accident, may signal a more serious problem requiring additional tests.

One in eight Americans suffers from headaches. Does you mouth cause yours?

(Reprinted from the Fort Campbell, Ky., Courier)

Health Tips from Army Medicine
November 2004