Some Migraines Caused by Bite Problems

Your temporomandibular joints are where you lower jaw connects to your skull, and when they misalign, they can cause you to suffer from a bad bite. If your temporomandibular joint is out of alignment, you may suffer from various symptoms of Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ/TMD). One of the most common symptoms of TMJ or TMD is headaches and/or migraines.

Neuromuscular dentists, like Dr. Pavlenko in Edmonton, Alberta, are trained to diagnose and treat TMJ/TMD. Symptoms of TMJ/TMD other than headaches and migraines include:

· Facial Pain

· Head Pain

· Neck Pain

· Shoulder Pain

· Ringing in the Ears

· Sensitive and Sore Teeth

· Numbness/Tingling in hands or arms

· Clicking/Popping in jaw

· Limited Jaw Movement

· Clenching/Grinding Teeth

If you have TMJ or TMD, then the muscles or joints in your jaw are out of alignment. When this happens, the muscles in your face, head, and neck have to work harder to do everything; your muscles have to strain just to keep your jaw in one position.

When the muscles in your face are constantly strained or contracted, they create a tight feeling, pressure, or tension in you face, head, and neck, giving you a tension headache. It can also cause is a vascular headache. This occurs when the muscles in your face, head, or neck are constantly strained or contracted, preventing blood from flowing correctly to the right places. Your body will try to correct this by sending excess blood to the area, which builds up blood pressure, causing a vascular headache.

Also, clenching or grinding your teeth will give you headaches from placing excess stress on your teeth, muscles, jaw, and the temporomandibular joint. Many times, TMJ/TMD headaches can become so severe and frequent that they are misdiagnosed as migraine headaches.

If you are diagnosed with TMJ/TMD, find a neuromuscular dentist who will prescribe a treatment plan for you that will stop the symptoms.