WISE UP; Your Wisdom Teeth Could Be Causing Your Headaches

Although they may not seem directly related, headaches and dental pain have quite a bit in common. If you suffer from frequent headaches and have no idea what causes them, consider visiting with your dentist instead of rushing to the pharmacy. A dental examination or x-ray may be all you need to discover the root of your problem. More importantly, it may be the only visit you need to solve it.

Simple Connection

Headaches are often the result of muscles contracting throughout the face, including the jaw muscles. One main nerve connects sensations of the face, scalp, jaw and teeth together; the trigeminal nerve. Pain from the mouth traveling through it to other areas of the head can make diagnosing headaches difficult. Pains in other areas of the body are isolative by comparison, and therefore much easier to identify. The cause of headaches is often a mystery to those who suffer from them. Many would receive the answer they’ve been searching for from the last person they would expect; their dentist.

Tough Reality

The majority of us grow wisdom teeth during our late adolescent or early adulthood years. As these teeth emerge or when they become impacted under the gum, the surrounding gum tissues swell and may become infected. This pressure causes a mal-alignment of the bite, along with pain in the jaw that causes headaches. Although the majority of us grow our wisdom teeth at a younger age, it’s important to understand they can (and do) emerge to wreak pressure-building havoc much later in our lives.

Wise Decision

If you suffer from headaches, a dental exam and wisdom tooth extraction may be all you need to significantly improve the quality of your life. Find a dentist who is more than happy to discuss anesthesia options with you. Oral sedation may be an excellent option if you tend to feel anxious or fearful about this type of procedure. Extracting wisdom teeth is very similar to any other standard tooth extraction, only this time you’ll walk out of the dentist’s office with both a clear mouth and pain-free head.

Sources

What Are Impacted Wisdom Teeth; Wisdom Tooth Removal, Medical News Today 2010.
Learn About Headaches, Durham Headaches 2014

Covington Smiles offers a wide range of services such as wisdom tooth extractions, teeth whitening, emergency dentistry, pediatric dentistry, cosmetic dentistry and more. Contact our trusted dental clinic to make an appointment with Dr. Daniel Lee and his team.

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