The Dental Blog

Chronic Headache Pain

Many chronic headaches that have been incorrectly diagnosed as migraine or sinus headaches are, in fact, muscle spasm headaches caused by temporomandibular joint dysfunction. TMJ is a syndrome that develops when the teeth and bite are not in harmony with the jaw joint.

To check to see if you have TMJ dysfunction, do you have any of the following symptoms?

1. Head, neck or facial pain
2. Teeth sensitive to cold or heat
3. Worn or broken teeth
4. Loose teeth
5. Receding gums

Most people who clench or grind their teeth are completely unaware that they have a problem. If you have any of the above symptoms, you may have TMJ dysfunction syndrome. Treatment is safe and gentle, especially if you catch it early enough to avoid permanent, long-term damage. Treatment can usually be done without braces. Dr. Simon is an alumnus of the L.D. Pankey Institute for Advanced Dental Care and has been successfully treating bite problems for over 25 years.

If you have any head, neck or facial pain that you think may be due to stress at home, work, sinus, migraine or working over a computer, etc., you owe it to yourself to see Dr. Simon. If it is due to your bite, and it often is, he can determine it and help you.