HEADACHES have practically become a national pastime. During the past year, nearly 90% of men and 95% of women have had at least one headache every eight weeks. An estimated 150,000 Guyanese suffer from some form of severe headache. They make tens of thousands of outpatient visits to physicians every year for this condition. Thousands suffer from migraines. That is about 15% of our population. However, what most people, physicians included, do not realise is that a tremendous number of headaches are related to the teeth.
In my experience as a dental surgeon, as much as 85% of all head pain has been directly attributable to problems in the teeth and jaw, especially when new fillings, dentures or crowns are placed, and is readily alleviated with dental treatment.
When a friend told me that she had been getting headaches nearly every day for several years, I immediately suspected a problem with her teeth. Sure enough, her wisdom teeth were impacted. Since she had never had specific problems with them, she did not know that they needed to come out. And once they were removed? You guessed it: 99% of her headaches completely vanished. She does still report an occasional headache, but we have both concluded that once her three kids are a bit older, those will probably miraculously vanish!
Stress and tension headaches are the most common, afflicting as many as 77% of all headache sufferers. Ninety per cent of adults have had a tension headache, according to the American Council for Headaches. Tension headaches are usually a steady ache rather than a throbbing pain; they affect both sides of the head. I believe psychological factors have been greatly overemphasised as a cause of tension headaches.
You might think that the only way to treat a tension headache would be to reduce the amount of tension or learn how to “relax” more, but that is not always possible or even easily accomplished. It is also not the only answer.
Many times, people under stress will clench or grind their teeth, which is frequently the result of a misaligned bite. As a result, the tension headache is almost always accompanied by spasms of the muscles that help to open and close the jaw. To evaluate whether the headaches are bite-related, a small mould can be made to fit over the upper front teeth, which the patient wears for several days. Often, the headaches stop entirely or diminish greatly. It is known that a dentist can make minor but important adjustments to reshape the teeth so the patient can have long-lasting relief. When the bite is corrected, the strain is taken off the muscles, allowing them to relax and heal, while the patient continues to feel better.
TMD, formerly known as TMJ (temporomandibular joint) syndrome, is simply a dramatic extension of the classic tension headache. It is named for the temporomandibular joint, which is in front of the ear, where the lower jaw rests in the skull bone socket. Often related to clenching and a misaligned bite, over time, TMD syndrome can result in extreme spasms and trauma to the muscles, not only in the jaw but down the neck and shoulders. In many cases, even the back muscles are affected.
Between the top of the lower jaw, called the condyle, and the skull is a cartilaginous disc. This serves as a cushion as one condyle moves forward and downward when the mouth opens. If this becomes slightly displaced, a click or pop will occur when opening the mouth; sometimes the jaw may even lock.
Some symptoms of TMD include dizziness, headaches, migraines, facial pain, tooth pain, pain radiating down the arms into the fingers, limited jaw opening, pain with jaw movement, ringing in the ears, teeth grinding, and chronic neck and backache.
Since the site of the temporomandibular joint is at the intersection of three major energy meridians relating to the stomach, endocrine system and small intestines, relief from TMD can spark a tremendous healing process in the whole body, relieving symptoms such as stomach problems, chest pains and cold extremities.
