Headaches are a common issue worldwide and affect approximately 50% of all adults. The severity of headaches ranges from mild to extremely debilitating. They are commonly associated with psychological disorders and bacterial and viral infections.
The leading cause of tension and migraine headaches has however been proven to be dental disorders. This is because these headaches that commonly affect your temples arise from pressure on your temporomandibular joint.
TMJ disorders and orthodontic issues that cause you to clench or grind your teeth are the most commonly linked to migraines. As such, migraine treatment in a Sandy’s dental clinic focuses on reducing the pressure in your temporomandibular joint and teeth using different appliances and therapies. The following are some of the dental alternatives used for migraine treatment.
Aligners and Braces
Misaligned teeth are commonly linked to TMJ conditions. Other than this, the misalignment causes your teeth to be in constant contact and increases their pressure on your jaw and consequently contributes to the development of migraines.
For teeth that are severely misaligned, the dentist might recommend aligners or braces. These will straighten your teeth and hence give you a beautiful smile while reducing the migraines associated with the misalignment.
Stabilization Splints
If your issue is grinding of teeth in your sleep, a stabilization splint will be the ideal treatment appliance. The stabilization splint allows your jaw’s muscles to relax and thus protects your teeth from the effects of bruxism and teeth grinding.
It also distributes the force of bruxism across your jaw and hence reduces its effects. Hydrostatic, soft rubber, and permissive stabilization splints are some of the common types of stabilization splints used. Treatment with stabilization splints takes 3–6 months and involves day and night splints.
Customized Mouth Guards
These prevent the touching of your teeth in your sleep and thus reduce the intensity of migraines. Other than this, customized mouth guards will protect your teeth’s surfaces from the damage associated with clenching and grinding.
Store-bought mouth guards are ineffective and will often increase the intensity of your migraines since they put more pressure on the jaw and teeth.
Oral Reconstruction
This is the management option for people with severe dental issues causing their migraines. It is also recommended for those whose migraines are linked to multiple dental factors.
The oral reconstruction surgeries generally include a repair of damaged teeth, correction of jaw misalignment and irregular bites and the replacement of missing teeth. The dentist allows enough healing time and function restoration between the reconstruction treatment phases to minimize adverse effects.
Few types of pain are as debilitating as that associated with a migraine. Pain relief medications are unfortunately not very effective and sometimes cause kidney and liver issues.
The above dental treatments are fortunately mostly free from side effects and have been proven effective by multiple research studies.
You could also use institute different changes to complement the above dental treatments. Eating soft food, gentle jaw stretching exercises, jaw massages, and cold and hot therapies will for instance significantly decrease the pain, discomfort, and frequency of your migraine.
