If you have headaches and neck pain, let us know. We can treat you and help your headaches to go away so that you can have an improved quality of life. Let’s face it – headaches can range from merely annoying to debilitating. There is no way to tell how a headache will manifest itself, but clearly, they are uncomfortable, to say the least. With at least forty percent of the adult population experiencing headaches on a regular basis, this is something that we are actively addressing.
While it may seem odd to visit a dentist with a headache, we can help you to feel better because most headaches are tension headaches. This means that your head starts to hurt as a result of extreme pressure being placed upon your muscles and joints. It is actually fairly common for this to happen, as demonstrated by the large amount of people suffering from TMJ.
The discomfort often arises due to clenching or grinding your teeth while you sleep. People that are experiencing high levels of stress tend to clench more often than others, but this can impact anyone, regardless of age. The muscles and joints that control your jaw and connect it to your skull are constantly being used. Just the act of swallowing requires your jaw to close more than 2,000 times per day. This is significant, and your muscles never get a break. When you then put additional pressure onto them by eating food that are too hard to chew or grinding and clenching, you can wake up with a severe headaches and neck pain. In mild cases, this will cause discomfort but not impact your lifestyle. For others, the discomfort becomes so severe that they cannot even open their mouth.
Fortunately, regardless of what stage you are in, we can help. In our dental office, we can treat symptoms of TMJ by having a removable oral appliance created for you. In order to do so we will need to make an impression of your teeth and mouth so that the lab can create an appliance to your exact specifications. It will surround both your upper and lower teeth while also connecting them. This is to ensure that they cannot touch each other and grind or clench at night while you are sleeping. While a seemingly simple solution, it will allow you to relax your jaw and face muscles as you sleep so that you can wake up headache and tension-free. This is a non-invasive solution, so there really is no reason to leave it untreated.
Another reason you may have headaches and neck pain is that you have a damaged or infected tooth. When there is a problem with one of your teeth, the body naturally wants to make adjustments for it so you may begin to chew differently or hold your jaw in a certain position in order to prevent yourself from touching that particular tooth. In our dental office, we can examine your teeth and gums, determine if there are any issues and treat them so that you can have restored health and start to feel more comfortable.
Call our Leawood, KS, dental office to make an appointment with a dentist who may be able to help you find out more about this topic, and improve your oral health.