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Toothaches and Migraines
Can Tooth Pain Cause Migraines?
For patients that suffer from migraines, it can be difficult to know what brings on the sudden throbbing in your head. While many people assume that migraines are caused only by stress, there are many other links — such as tooth pain.
While a migraine may not be the cause of your tooth pain and vice versa, these conditions may suggest a deeper oral issue. Keep reading to learn how our dentists at Sterling Dental Center can diagnose and treat your dental-related migraines.
Am I Having a Migraine?
If you’re not sure if you simply have a headache or a migraine, the best way to tell is by checking your symptoms.
Patients that experience migraines typically have multiple of these symptoms:
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Facial tingling
- Sensitivity to light and sound
Chronic migraines are not just simply bad headaches — their extreme symptoms can cause patients to miss school, work, and other important life events.
Oral Conditions That Can Cause Toothaches and Migraines
There are multiple dental conditions that are at times responsible for causing not only tooth pain but a migraine as well, including:
Teeth Grinding
Whether from improper alignment of the teeth or from stress, patients that grind their teeth may also cause themselves a severe migraine from the pressure they’re putting on their teeth.
Also known as bruxism, grinding or clenching your teeth can sometimes only appear in patients when they are asleep. If you tend to wake up with a migraine or significant pain in your jaw, this may be an indication that you grind your teeth at night. Additionally, children who grind their teeth at night often grow out of this behavior as their permanent teeth come.
If you’re concerned about clenching your teeth, your dentist can fit you for a mouth guard to help alleviate the behavior at night. However, if this guard doesn’t address the dental concern that may be causing your bruxism, you will most likely continue to grind your teeth. Seeing your dentist and letting them know of this condition is the best way to put an end to your teeth clenching — and your migraines.
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ)
Temporomandibular Joint (also known as TMJ) is a form of Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD), where the temporomandibular joint of your jaw becomes painful and sensitive. Patients are often left unable to chew on one or both sides of their mouth — and this built-up tension may also cause extreme migraines and possible tooth damage.
Other symptoms of TMJ may include:
- Severe migraines
- A tender jaw
- A clicking or popping noise between your jaw and ear
While applying a hot compress can help to relax your tight jaw muscle, and gum may help reduce your discomfort, if your TMJ continues, the best thing to do would be to seek treatment for your dentist.
Toothaches
One of the most obvious causes for tooth pain, toothaches can escalate if left untreated and cause a high level of pain. If your ache stems from a gum or cavity issue, your dentist will need to treat these conditions first and foremost. Then, if you still experience migraines or tooth pain, you may need to seek further treatment options.
Having your teeth regularly checked by your dentist can help alert you of any early signs of tooth decay, allowing you to resolve the issues before they cause more pain.
Treating Your Dental Migraines With NTI Treatments
As braces work to straighten and shift your teeth, patients with TMJ have found that after treatment the pain in their jaw has subsided or been reduced. However, simple orthodontic treatment may not be enough to help patients with continuous, chronic migraines.
At Sterling Dental Center, our dentists use Nociceptive Trigeminal Inhibition Tension Suppression System treatments (NTI) to treat patients with dental-related migraines. This treatment uses an FDA-approved dental device that can help stop headaches, a sore jaw, stiff neck, and sensitive teeth.
NTI allows the nerves in your face to relax and return to its normal function, alleviating many issues with your jaw and teeth alignment that can lead to painful migraines. At your appointment, our team can custom fit the device to your specific condition to help you to get the relief you need.
Additionally, benefits of the NTI-tss plus appliance include:
- Drug-free therapy for headache and migraine pain
- Comfortable fit for patient satisfaction
- Reduced clenching intensity
- Prevents tooth wear
Migraine and Tooth Pain Relief in Shreveport
If you’re interested in learning more about our in-office NTI-tss appliance, contact our Shreveport staff at Sterling Dental Center today to arrange a consultation. You can also complete our new patient form online, to save you the extra time when you visit us in person, or give us a call at: (318) 374-1411. Our professionals can help determine if the tooth pain you are experiencing is the cause of your migraines.
We can’t wait to get started on your oral journey with you!
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