If you suffer from chronic headaches everyday, you’re not alone. In fact, headaches are the number one pain complaint in the United States, and one in eight Americans suffer from chronic headaches. Many of these chronic headaches are caused by muscle tension – something you’re likely all too familiar with if you’re accustomed to stress on the job or at home. But you might not have realized that the causes of daily headaches might actually be affected by your bite.

Las Vegas Chronic Headaches

How does this happen? Muscle tension occurs when a muscle is contracted for long periods of time. If your chronic headache is the result of dental stress, you will likely experience:

• Sore jaw muscles
• Grinding teeth
• Popping jaw
• Scalp pain
• Eye pain

If you get chronic headaches due to dental stress, these could be caused by what’s called a “tired bite.” Your jaw muscles have a full-time job; in fact, they never get a rest! These muscles go to work every time you swallow (more than 2,000 times a day), chew or open and close your mouth. If your bite is misaligned, your jaw has to work even harder! This can lead to overtired muscles that then cause pain – in the form of those recurring headaches.

So why don’t you feel this pain in your jaw? Well, you might actually feel some pain in your cheeks or jaw, but most likely, this pain gets “referred” to other areas of the body – like behind your eyes or other areas of the head. Not to mention that pain from dental stress can then cause pain in other areas of the body. Since many muscles support your head, your neck, shoulders and back could also feel the repercussions of a misaligned bite.

Sick of those headaches? Fortunately, if your bite is causing this pain, there are treatment options available. Your dentist can examine your teeth, bite and muscles to determine whether your mouth is causing your pain. In some cases, treatment to correct your bite can help alleviate this pain.

Come see us today and stop living with your chronic headache!