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How Poor Oral Health and Habits Trigger Headaches and Migraines

Posted on 4/12/2021 by Office of Dr. James A. Krippaehne

Billions of people worldwide experience headaches. Common triggers include changes in atmospheric pressure, bright light, allergies, obesity, certain medications, stress, and insomnia, etc. However, there's now a new trigger for headaches and migraines that is even more dangerous. There is strong evidence the poor oral health can cause headaches or migraines.

At West End Dental, Dr. James Krippaehne and team canexplain how poor dental hygiene and habits can trigger headaches migraine attacks.

How Your Mouth Causes Migraines

Most dental problems occur because of muscle strain between the mouth and jaw, causing tension headaches. The most common dental issue that causes headaches or migraines is a bad bite. Loose, missing, or misaligned teeth create a bad bite that causes gradual inflammation by making the jaw muscles work differently or harder while swallowing food or bringing the teeth together.

We have also observed that patients who frequently experience migraines often have bad bite issues. Unfortunately, most people fail to link migraines with bad bites, so they leave it untreated. Bad bite due to wisdom teeth can also trigger long-lasting headaches due to overcrowding in the jaw.

Teeth grinding or clenching also causes muscle inflammation, triggering headaches and migraines. There are many signs of teeth grinding. These include tender teeth, sore jaws, a clicking sound when opening the mouth, and tongue indentations. Toothaches due to gum disease or tooth decay start in the mouth but can quickly turn to headaches or migraines due to nerve irritation.

Lastly, temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) occurs when your jaw's ball and socket joint fail to connect correctly. It leads to clicks, pops, and throbbing tooth pain and can cause severe headaches in certain patients.

To check if poor oral health and habits are the main culprits behind your headache or migraine, we recommend visiting Dr. James Krippaehne and team at West End Dental. To schedule an appointment with us, call us at (503) 446-2957 today.

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