A. Headaches are a very broad category of problems and include dozens of potential causes. Dental causes of head,
neck or facial pain could include cavities, abscessed teeth, gum infection, cysts, tumors of the jaw bones or swollen glands, broken or cracked teeth and TMJ dysfunction syndrome.
Q. What is TMJ dysfunction syndrome?
A. TMJ dysfunction is any pain that results from a conflict between the biting surfaces of the teeth and the jaw joints. It is only one specific problem that can occur with the jaw
joint. Unless it can be proven that the pain is caused by a conflict between the teeth and jaw joint, it is not TMJ dysfunction.
Q. I get jaw or neck aches. Is that TMJ?
A. It could be TMJ
dysfunction, but it might not. The only way to be sure is to go to a dentist who has specific training in treating TMJ dysfunction and be tested. TMJ dysfunction is easy to misdiagnose and so you need to be sure the dentist has the
pre-requisite training.
Q. I was in an accident and got whiplash pain that won't go away. What can I do?
A. Often, a whiplash injury triggers TMJ dysfunction. Anyone who has had a whiplash
injury should be screened for TMJ dysfunction if the pain from the injury does not clear up quickly.
Q. I have TMJ but was told its stress. Is that true?
A. Stress does not cause TMJ
dysfunction. A conflict between the biting surfaces of the teeth and jaw joint is the cause. Stress can take a patient, who has been tolerating this discomfort, and reduce their tolerance to the point that the pre-existing dental
condition begins to cause pain.
Q. I get earaches but nothing the doctor does helps. Could that be due to my teeth?
A. Earaches have nothing to do with your teeth or TMJ dysfunction. However,
if you put your finger in your ear, you can see how close it is to your jaw joint and teeth. If you open and close your mouth while your finger is in your ear, you can actually feel your jaw joint move. As a result, what may feel
like a ear ache may in fact be a jaw joint problem.
Q. This dentist said my teeth are fine but I still get head, neck or facial pain. What do I do next?
A. If the dentist has ruled out tooth
problems, then you need to be checked for TMJ dysfunction by a dentist who is specifically trained in the diagnosis and treatment of TMJ dysfunction. Most dentists have not had this training.
Q. I had braces, so how could my bite cause headaches?
A.
Braces
are great but they have limitations. First, your teeth may be straight but there still could be a conflict between your teeth and jaw joints even after braces. Second, things may have shifted since the braces were taken off.
Q. I have been getting headaches for many years. Isn't is just stress?
A. Maybe it is and maybe it isn't. You need to checked by a dentist trained in TMJ dysfunction.
Q. I don't grind my teeth so how could I have TMJ?
A. Most people who do grind their teeth do not realize it. Look at your teeth very carefully to see if there is any wear that could be due to tooth grinding, even if you
don't think you are doing it.
Q. What is TMJ? Is it stress or tooth grinding or what?
A. TMJ dysfunction is the pain that results, and can be proven to be caused, by a conflict between the
teeth and jaw joints. The pain is actually muscle pain or cramping from the jaw muscles. These jaw muscles wrap around the entire head.
Q. Could a tooth infection cause headaches?
A. A tooth infection could definitely cause headaches, particularly an infection in a molar tooth.
Q. Could wisdom teeth cause headaches?
A. A wisdom tooth problem could definitely cause head pain.
Q. Could gum infection cause head or jaw pain?
A. A gum infection could also be the cause of head pain.
Q. If I get a headache, I just take a pain pill. Why do I need to do anything else?
A. Taking a pill to mask the pain of a headache does nothing to solve the problem. Symptoms can continue to worsen even if it doesn't
hurt. Many patients who wind up with severe jaw problems that may require major surgery started out as a TMJ problem caused by the bite that was not properly treated.
Q. How do I find out if I have a bite problem that is causing head, neck or facial pain?
A. You need to find a dentist with specific training in diagnosing and treating TMJ dysfunction. Most dentists do not have this
training so you will need to be very specific in questioning the dentist to determine their qualifications.
Q. If my bite is the problem, do I need braces?
A. If your bite is the problem,
braces
could be the solution but may not be needed. The objective is to eliminate the conflict between the teeth and the jaw joints and other methods include a bite splint as a temporary measure and reshaping the biting surfaces of the teeth (bite equilibration) as a long term solution.
Q. Would a bite guard help me?
A. A bite guard, if it is properly made, will definitely take away pain that is due to TMJ dysfunction, as long as it eliminates the conflict between the teeth
and the jaw joint. However, it only works when you are wearing it. As soon as you take the bite splint out, your bite goes back to where it was before, so it is not a long-term solution.
Q. I got a bite guard and it didn't help. Does that mean that I didn't have a bite problem?
A. If a bite splint didn't help, either it was not adjusted well enough to eliminate the conflict between the teeth and jaw
joint or, if it was, your bite is not the problem.
Q. Can't I just use a mouth guard that they sell in a sports store?
A. The bite guard they sell in a sports store is designed to act as a
cushion to protect your teeth in case of a blow to the face. The TMJ bite splint is not designed to act as a cushion but as a substitute for a properly fitting bite. A properly made bite splint is like when you have a wobbly table
in a restaurant. The waiter puts a matchbook under the leg of the table so you have a temporarily stable table. However, when the matchbook is removed, the legs are not equal and the table will wobble again. The solution is to
shorten the legs of the table until they are all equal. This is the equivalent of evening the bite by equilibration.
