Entertainment Weekly, January 2003

Health Awareness: Taking the Bite Out of Headaches

There could be good news for many of the 45 million Americans who suffer from chronic headaches.

Medical experts say one of the most common causes is a long-term conflict between the biting surfaces of the mouth. The problem starts with the jaw joint which can be destabilized by misaligned teeth pulling it out of its socket during swallowing or biting. This can cause painful muscle spasms leading to headaches, neck pain and general facial pain.

Now, a veteran dental practitioner has come up with a possible solution. Dr. Jerry Simon, D.D. S., spent many years researching what he considers the most fundamental but overlooked issue in dentistry today, occlusal interference. As a result, he developed a small plastic device, the Best-bite discluder, that lets dentists instantly determine whether a patient’s pain bite-related and so treat the problem.

“Many headaches cannot be diagnosed by standard medical tests such as MRIs, CAT scans and blood tests, so the diagnosis is often made on the subjective symptoms reported by the patient, leading to incorrect assumptions by the doctors,” explains Dr. Simon.

Patients bite down on the discluder. It instantly assists the jaw joints so the muscles no longer strain, the spasm is released and the pain stops, generally in under two minutes. This lets the dentist know occlusal interference is the root of the patient’s problem and devise a treatment. The time saving diagnosis benefits both dentist and patient.

Symptoms of jaw misalignment include:

  • You suffer from recurring ear pain but a doctor can’t find a direct cause.
  • You experience pain the temples or forehead believed due to eye strain but your doctor can’t find the problem.
  • Your jaw feels tight, stiff, opens crookedly instead of straight or feels sore or tired after you’ve been chewing
  • You can hear popping, clicking, or grinding sounds in your jaw or ear when your mouth opens and closes.

If you have any of these symptoms, it may be a good idea to see your dentist.