Experiencing chronic headaches can hurt your quality of life, and make it harder to function through the course of your day. It might not line up with your expectations, but those frequent pains may be tied to your oral health. Unaddressed TMJ problems (also referred to as TMJ disorder, or TMD) can make it painful to operate your jaw, but it can also be the cause of regular discomfort in your head, your face, and your neck. While there are several potential causes, one issue that can create this condition is bruxism, or the habit of grinding your teeth. By seeking treatment for these problems, you can eliminate a potential source of chronic headaches, protect your teeth, and improve your general well-being.
Your dentist can stop your teeth-grinding habit from damaging your teeth, and alleviate TMJ discomfort, with the use of a mouth guard, or an oral splint. The mouth guard puts a stop to your teeth grinding against each other when you attempt to clench your jaw, so that they do not become damaged. The oral splint is meant to correct the alignment of your jaw joints, in order to alleviate discomfort.
If you have left bruxism unaddressed for long enough to show signs of damage, cosmetic dental work can help. Porcelain veneers effectively cover problems like wear and tear, and can help with many other physical flaws (like tooth discoloration). It is important to note that if your bruxism is not being managed, you can damage veneers by grinding your teeth.