Headache Treatment Asheville, NC

Do you suffer from chronic headaches? Maybe you wake up with frequent morning headaches. You may have a TMJ disorder or bruxism.

TMJ disorders, or temporomandibular joint disorders, cause pain when the joints that connect the jawbone to the skull are injured. Bruxism, or teeth clenching and grinding, is one of the most common symptoms of TMJ disorders. These dental problems pressure the jaw joint due to an unbalanced or crooked bite. Tension in the face caused by these problems can also lead to headaches and neck and jaw pain.

Many patients may suffer from chronic headaches or jaw pain but do not know why. TMJ problems or bruxism are often unconscious because patients clench and grind their teeth at night. Dr. Christopher Rebol and Dr. Chris Sparks are Asheville, NC dentists that can evaluate your jaw joints and facial muscles for instability. After a diagnosis, they will help you determine the best type of care or recommend TMJ treatment options.

Treating Headaches in Asheville, North Carolina

Treating Bruxism Headaches

Before treatment, we will discuss your dental concerns and health history and perform a thorough dental exam. Wearing night guards or undergoing bite correction therapy are some of the best treatments to address chronic headaches. Our dentists recommend a treatment plan for you, depending on your specific needs.

Night guard: We may recommend an oral appliance such as a mouthguard for patients to wear at night. Night guards help prevent teeth grinding and clenching and reduce chronic headaches. Night guards also help relieve pressure from the jaw and stop further tooth wear.

Bite Correction: Misaligned bites often contribute to TMJ, bruxism, and headaches. Dental crowns, tooth bonding, or orthodontic treatments can reshape or realign the teeth for a more balanced bite. We will help you find the best option for straightening your teeth or covering tooth damage.

Other Dental Issues That Cause Headaches

While bruxism is one of the most common causes of headaches, there are other dental problems that can cause you to have headaches as well. When you have tooth damage that exposes a nerve, it’s going to be painful. But that pain doesn’t necessarily stay localized in that area. Pain in those dental nerves can travel to other places in the head. Usually, this headache feels like an intense tension headache.

However, this can also cause more serious headaches and migraines too, even if you weren’t prone to them before. You get throbbing pain on one side of the head and may experience sensitivity to lights or an upset stomach. Any tooth damage you experience should be treated promptly, in order to avoid more severe impacts like these.

If you have a broken or decayed tooth and don’t get treatment, it can become infected. Infection wears away the dental pulp inside the tooth. It can travel into bone, creating an abscess. Symptoms include a fever, chills, swelling, and pain throughout the head and face. Diseased nerve tissue can cause nerve pain to travel to other places away from the tooth, similar to exposed nerves. If an abscess is formed, you can get intense migraine or sinus headaches and further, more severe complications.

Request an Appointment Today

If you have chronic headaches, visit Rebol Family Dentistry in Asheville, North Carolina. Call our office for care today at 828.247.7222. On our website, you may also schedule a consultation with Dr. Rebol or Dr. Sparks. They will be happy to answer any remaining questions about your dental concerns during your consultation.