Looking for Migraine Relief? Consider Seeing Your Dentist

Over 39 million Americans, including both adults and children, are affected by chronic migraines, and currently there is no cure. In order to help educate the public on the reality of this painful condition, our Memphis dental office observes National Migraine & Headache Awareness Month every June. But why is a dentist talking about migraines? What do they have to do with dentistry? Let’s find out…

Identifying a Migraine

Even though migraines are often be referred to as headaches, or headaches referred to as migraines, there is a difference between the two. Although both share the common symptom of an uncomfortable, painful sensation in the head, there are several things to look for that can help differentiate the two.

Headaches	Migraines
Pain isn’t usually on only one side of the head, but can be	Pain tends to affect one side of the head, although not always
Pain doesn’t get worse with activity	Pain gets more intense when doing anything physical
Pain is typically a constant pressure sensation	Pain appears more throbbing than a consistent pressure
Has no other symptoms in other areas	Common to experience nausea, sensitivity to light or sound, blurry vision

The Connection Between Migraines & Dentistry

Although there is no one, absolute cause of migraines, studies have shown a connection between a poor bite and chronic migraines. How is this possible? When we look at the anatomy of the head as a whole, we can see that there is a complex weave of muscles between the head and the jaw. So when the top jaw doesn’t align well with the bottom jaw, too much pressure is put on the muscles in that area and they can become strained. When this happens, the pain may not necessarily be felt in the jaw itself (although it can be), but rather in the head as a migraine. If you clench or grind your teeth often your jaw muscles will again be put under abnormal pressure and, you guessed, you can get a migraine.

Many migraine sufferers have found relief through dental intervention. To see if that may be an option for you, start by scheduling an appointment at our dental office in Memphis. This appointment will allow us to check for any signs or a poor bite or bruxism to determine if this may be the cause of your migraines. From there, we will discuss your treatment options and recommend the best solution for you. Don’t keep suffering from migraine pain, give us a call today.