Are Dental Problems Causing Your Headaches?

Dental problems can contribute to a lot of other health problems, even some that seem unrelated. One such problem is headaches. You may not realize it, but dental problems can definitely contribute to headaches.

You’ll need to meet with a dentist or orthodontist to determine how your dental problems may contribute to your headaches. Dr. Joseph Z. Yousefian of Yousefian Orthodontics for Children, Teens and Adults in Bellevue, Washington, explains more about the relationship between dental issues and headaches.

The link between dental problems and headaches

Toothaches are a common cause of dental problems. These can happen for several reasons, including:

• Tooth grinding (also called bruxism), which may happen while you’re awake, asleep, or both
• Temporomandibult joint issues. This joint is the hinge of your jaw where it attaches to your facial bones.
• Migraines and other headaches can be caused by dental issues, which may be chronic or represent a more acute problem

If you have frequent headaches or migraines, it’s always a good idea to get evaluated by Dr. Yousefian. He can often evaluate the source of your headaches, which can result in finding an effective treatment.

Referred head pain to your tooth

Sometimes, your head pain can be referred to your tooth. In other words, the tooth isn’t the source of the pain, but it can still be affected.

Tooth decay or advanced gum disease can both cause referred pain, especially if you’ve gone for a long time without treatment. These problems tend to get worse, not better, if you ignore them.

Sinus infections

Sinus infections are another common cause of headaches and tooth pain. Sometimes, you may not get effective treatment for a sinus infection, or you might not even know that you have one.

Sinus infections don’t always go away on their own. If you have a sinus infection that hasn’t received proper treatment, you might experience some of the following symptoms:

• Facial pain or pressure
• Nasal discharge, usually from an infection
• Tenderness in the face
• Runny nose or postnasal drip
• Nasal congestion

There are both chronic and acute sinus infections, depending on how long you’ve felt the symptoms and whether you have received adequate treatment for previous sinus infections. 

Sinus infections can be either viral or bacterial. Viral sinus infections usually eventually go away on their own. But bacterial sinus infections require antibiotics for your body to get rid of them.

How to get treatment

If you have dental problems that are causing your headaches, you can get adequate treatment. But first, we have to get to the underlying root of your problem, which may require a bit of investigation.

Dr. Yousefian conducts a full, thorough investigation and exam. Sometimes, the issue causing pain may be as simple as a misaligned bite. Your teeth may not line up with each other correctly, which can increase your pain. But this issue can usually be resolved quickly.

If you have tooth decay or gum disease that’s causing your pain, we can take care of that, too.

You may also have TMJ issues, for which we also have a variety of treatments. 

If you have headaches that aren’t going away, especially despite treatment, it might be worth considering whether dental issues may be playing a contributing role. Call Dr. Joseph Z. Yousefian at Yousefian Orthodontics for Children, Teens and Adults today or request an appointment online.