What causes my headaches?
Headaches and sore muscles can be a dental-related problem. When we look at the way the teeth, muscles, and jaw joint work, there’s a balance and equilibrium for those three systems. When that equilibrium is out of balance we can over-work those muscles or joints. This can happen when there’s a discrepancy between the bite and the position of the jaw joint.
Clenching and grinding the teeth can further overwork the system. The muscles working the jaws never get a chance to relax and can become sore or can spasm leading to headache like symptoms.
What is a Destructive Bite?
In this animation to the right, we see what we call a stable bite versus a destructive bite.
A stable bite starts with the lower jaw joint seated in the correct anatomical position in the skull. When we close with the jaw joints properly positioned, all of the teeth should contact. This is the starting point for a stable bite.
When the teeth are in contact, but the jaw joint is not properly positioned, we have a potentially destructive bite. This imbalance can lead to overwork of the teeth, muscles and jaw joint. As a result, problems can arise in any or all of these areas.
How do you tell if you have a destructive bite?
The only way you can really tell whether this is the cause of your headaches or not is to see a dentist and have a thorough examination done. Not all dentists are created equal, though. Dentists that have studied with The Dawson Academy have learned how to analyze and identify the root cause of problems, such as headaches, worn teeth, cracked teeth and more. Find a Dawson-Trained-Dentist today.
