Hi, my name’s Dr Warren, and I’m the Principal Dentist of Lifestyle Smiles dental clinic in Brighton VIC. Yesterday, Stephanie from St Kilda asked me, “Can a toothache cause headaches?” And I thought this might be a topic of interest for many people, so I decided to make this video to share with you what I shared with her, just in case you experience headaches as well.
So first of all, headaches and toothaches are detected by the same nerve in the head. And one of the largest nerves in the head as well, it’s called the trigeminal nerve. Due to this intimate connection, a lot of toothaches and headaches are intimately related.
For example, 80 percent of people who grind and clench their teeth at night, don’t even realise that they’re doing so, and sometimes grinder and clenchers, when they put so much pressure on their teeth, it can cause muscle aches, teeth aches, as well as headaches. So that’s one of the most common patients who have both toothaches and headaches at the same time.
Other people who have really worn teeth or when teeth have worn down, your jaw position actually shifts. So, that can also cause a lot of stress in the muscles in your head. Therefore, a lot of people who may not grind and clench, but their teeth are really worn because they used to be a grinder or clincher, they can often get headaches as well due to the fact that their jaw position is not at a comfortable position. So when we build the teeth back up and put the jaw back into the position that it should be, the headaches will disappear as well.
People who have crooked teeth can also have headaches. Because when your teeth are locked together in a strained position, this can cause a lot of pressure to your jaw joint as well as the muscles. There have been many many clients whom after their teeth have been straightened, they told me their headaches are gone too.
So hopefully that gives you a little bit of insight into whether toothaches and migration are interrelated or not. If you do get regular toothache or headaches, we would love to see you to see if we can help. Simply give us a call, direct message us on social media, or complete the enquiry form on our website. See you in the next video.
