One of the best doctors to consult about migraines or headaches is your dentist. They might not be the first choice in your mind, but dentistry and migraines coincide with one another. Here’s why!
Migraines
Nothing is worse than getting a migraine in the middle of your day. They have the ability to bring your entire day to a screeching halt. If you suffer from migraines, you are all too familiar with the aches, pain, nausea, and inability to focus. If you find yourself falling victim to frequent migraines, call our dentist at Westmoreland Dental! Dentistry could be the solution to your migraines.
Dentistry
Common causes behind chronic migraines can stem from oral health issues. A top contributor to this pain is TMJ. TMJ, also known as a temporomandibular joint disorder, stems from the hinge that connects your jaw to your skull. TMJ’s cause is unknown, but there are common factors that can contribute to TMJ pain.
- Grinding teeth
- Clenching jaw
- Movement of soft cushion or disc between ball and socket joint
- Arthritis
- Stress
If you think you are suffering from TMJ pain, look for these symptoms.
- Migraines
- Pain or tenderness in face or jaw
- Problems opening mouth wide
- Lockjaw
- Clicking, popping, grating sounds in the jaw joint
- Tired or sore face muscles
- Trouble chewing
- Uncomfortable bite
- Swelling on the side of your face
If these symptoms are common for you, it’s highly encouraged to contact your dentist!
Treatment
There are various treatment options for TMJ and migraine pain. At Westmoreland Dental, we offer various services and therapies to help subdue migraines and TMJ pain. The FDA approved Botox in 2011 for chronic migraine relief. Our Botox injects only take a few minutes and last for months. In that time, you can expect to experience less if any migraine or jaw pain. Another solution includes TMJ laser therapy. This tiny laser uses pulses of high-intensity light at a certain wavelength to relieve your jaw muscles.
If you’d like to learn more about migraine relief and our TMJ treatment options, you can visit Westmoreland Dental online here.