Burke, Fairfax and Fairfax Station, VA
Spending a day with a headache makes life difficult. It’s hard to focus or concentrate, light and noise are bothersome, and sometimes the headache is accompanied by nausea. While a headache can be caused by several factors, including sinus issues, it’s also common for chronic headaches to be caused by dental issues that can easily be addressed by visiting our family dentist in Burke.
Many times, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder — and its associated teeth clenching and grinding called bruxism — can be the culprit behind chronic headaches and migraines. Let’s dive into what TMJ disorder feels like so you can determine if perhaps a visit to our office could help.
What is TMJ?
The temporomandibular joints connect the jaw to the skull. The small joints serve as hinges, controlling your jaw’s ability to slide open and shut when you’re speaking or chewing. A disorder means the joints, bones, tendons, muscles and/or other soft tissues aren’t working properly. Symptoms can include pain in the jaw or pain and ringing deep in the ears.
How does TMJ disorder cause headaches?
Patients who have TMJ disorder also often complain of chronic headaches. This can be caused because pain travels along the cranial trigeminal nerve, so pain in the jaw can also be felt in the head. A headache can also be caused by teeth grinding at night, or bruxism, which is commonly associated with TMJ disorder. Bruxism overworks the jaw muscles and also wears down the teeth, sometimes causing another issue that can cause headaches: a misaligned bite.
TMJ-related headaches may sometimes be misdiagnosed as stress or tension headaches and consequently treated with a prescription for pain relievers. But this is addressing only a symptom and not the problem.
How can our dentist help?
Our TMJ dentist in Burke, Dr. Pam Marzban, has extensive knowledge and years of experience treating TMJ disorder. She uses cutting-edge technology to treat the condition. In an initial consultation, Dr. Marzban will examine your teeth, bite and jaw movement. If she diagnoses you with TMJ disorder, she will then work with you on a customized treatment plan. Located in Burke, our TMJ dentist office can usually address mild to moderate cases of TMJ disorder with oral appliance therapy. That includes our office making digital impressions of your mouth and teeth. We will then fabricate a custom orthotic for a patient to wear at night. Frequently this quickly helps the symptoms of TMJ disorder subside, resulting in relief from chronic headaches.
TMJ dentist in Burke, Fairfax, and Fairfax Station, Virginia
You don’t have to live in pain with chronic headaches. If your headaches are resulting from dental issues — and in many cases, they are — our office in the Northern Virginia area near Burke, Fairfax and Fairfax Station can help. Give us a call at (703) 323-8200 or reach us online today.
