Frequent headaches plague millions of Americans. In fact, one out of every 8 people in the United States suffers from chronic headaches that are so intense they are unable to work. For many of these people, the cause behind their headaches is a mystery. They and their doctors run through a battery of tests only to come up empty handed. If you’re one of these people then you know just how frustrating this can be. However, there’s one common cause that you may not be considering.

Mark Levy DDS looks beyond basic dental procedures to help provide his patients with a higher quality of life. This desire to help his patients in every way possible has led him to discover a hidden cause of frequent headaches. It turns out, for many people frequent headaches are caused by a problem with their dental health. Dr. Levy uses advanced technology to help discover the relationship between your jaw, your bite, and your headaches.

Connecting Frequent Headaches and Dental Health

An astonishing 40% of healthy people suffer from frequent headaches. And approximately 80% of these headaches are a result of muscle tension. Most muscle tension headaches are actually related to your bite. Your mouth, neck, and head house a plethora of muscles, tendons, joints, ligaments, bones, and nerves. Unbalanced dental forces affect your overall health. A bad bite, also known as malocclusion, causes frequent headaches, migraines, and a variety of other symptoms. Malocclusion is not typically diagnosed by physicians because they aren’t always aware of the complexities of the jaw. Many dentists also miss diagnosing this condition. This results on patients suffering, often for years, from treatable pain.

How Malocclusion Causes Frequent Headaches

Muscle strain and contraction cause tension headaches. Symptoms of tension headaches include pain behind your eyes, and sore or tired jaw muscles. It’s also common for your head or scalp to be sensitive or painful to touch. You may also experience clicking or popping in your jaw.

Your jaw and bite are very complex. Even swallowing requires a symphony of cooperation between upper and lower teeth. They must come together firmly to allow normal function. Most people swallow over 2000 times every single day and night. An unbalanced bite due to misaligned teeth or missing teeth requires the muscles surrounding your jaw to work harder. These muscles become overworked and strained. Constant strain and tension around your jaw and neck ultimately results in frequent headaches.

Why Malocclusion is missed as a Diagnosis for Frequent Headaches

Unfortunately, many doctors and dentists don’t diagnose malocclusion as a cause for frequent headaches. This is largely due to a lack of experience connecting the two conditions. However, it can also be easy to miss the diagnosis because the pain is referred.

Many people suffering from malocclusion experience pain in their cheeks or jaw. However, it’s also fairly common for the pain to be referred to other areas. This means that, while the pain originates in the jaw, it is actually felt in a different part of the body. It’s very common for pain in the mouth and jaw to be mistaken for frequent headaches.

If you are suffering from referred pain then it can be difficult to diagnose the actual cause of the pain. You may not even think to mention your frequent headaches to your dentist if the pain isn’t in your jaw. This lack of communication leads to a missed diagnosis. This is why it’s important to let your dentist know if you’re suffering from ongoing frequent headaches.

Treating Malocclusion and Frequent Headaches

If you suffer from frequent headaches and your medical doctor is unable to tell you why, you may want to check with your dentist. Talk to your dentist about your bite and the symptoms you are experiencing. They will examine your teeth, muscles, and jaw for signs of dental stress. If they suspect that your bite is causing the headaches then you can begin a treatment plan for both conditions.

Most of the time, correcting your bite is enough to eliminate the frequent headaches. When your bite is fixed and your muscles no longer strain with each movement then headaches will drastically decrease. However, treatment to correct your bite may go beyond simple dental procedures. It’s common to combine physical therapy with dental treatment to help correct your movements. Practicing relaxation techniques will also help manage stress and tension.

Treatments to correct your bite are often painless, drug-free, and needle-free. Once you begin treatment, you should notice a quick improvement and reduction in your frequent headaches. Dr. Levy uses the latest technology to both diagnose and treat malocclusion. He’s helped hundreds of patients reduce their pain, eliminate frequent headaches, and take back control of their lives.

Call Mark Levy DDS today at (614) 777-7350 for more information about treating malocclusion to reduce or eliminate frequent headaches.