Headaches - The Dental Connection

Headache is one of the leading causes of physician visits by patients and accounts for an enormous annual expenditure for pain relief medications. Yet few people think of going to a dentist for headache treatment. You probably know that what we dentists call occlusion is what most people refer to as their "bite" – the way their teeth come together. What many people do not know is how far-reaching the impact of a poor bite can be.

For example, did you know that a poor bite can be the cause of pain almost anywhere in the head and neck area? Headache is a prime example. Yet, headaches in the temple region are very commonly related to the bite and, correcting the bite often does away with the headaches.

To be sure, there are other causes of headache and head or neck pain. Most patients with this type of pain have already seen a physician to rule out other possible causes such as tumors, eye-strain, etc. With the post-graduate training our staff has completed, and state-of-the art equipment that we have acquired, we are able to scientifically rule in (or rule out) your bite as a possible source of pain.

I give you this as just one example of problems that may be caused or affected by your bite – a cause that most people aren't aware of. There are many others and they are listed as symptoms on the enclosed checklist. We now routinely use this checklist with our patients to determine and record any of those symptoms that you may have. We also record what we refer to as "signs" that your occlusion may have problems. We invite you to look over this list of symptoms and see if any pertain to you – give yourself a "self-test."

If you have any of these symptoms or, if you have some of these "signs," it would be in your best interest to have your occlusion evaluated. With cosmetic dentistry so popular today, it is especially important to make sure your bite is healthy prior to proceeding. A bad bite is often the cause of poor aesthetics, and if the bite is not corrected as part of the treatment process, the cosmetic procedure may be doomed to premature failure.

I hope that you have found this information of interest. If you have questions after reading this our office would be more than happy to provide you with further information. If you have friends or loved ones that you suspect may be suffering from these conditions, you would be doing us, and them, a favor to pass this information along.

Yours for better dentistry,

Dr. Mike Maroon