Did you know that if you bite down or clench your teeth during the night, it clenches muscles in your head1? This can cause headaches in the morning, and over time, more pain throughout your jaw. A dentist can fit you for a mouth guard or a bite splint that takes away the pressure when you grind your teeth during the night.
However, tooth decay can also cause blood cells to build up at a tooth's root. The build-up is an “abscess,” and it can grow. The abscess can irritate gum tissue at the root of the tooth, and as it gets bigger, put pressure on surrounding nerves. If it does put pressure on a central nerve to your brain, the brain then sends signals to the temple or face. These sensations may be sharp enough that you think the headache is a migraine2.
If you’re experiencing frequent headaches, your doctor may send you to a dentist for an examination and X-rays.
Read more health and wellness tips
1. Bruxism, MedlinePlus, accessed August 2, 2011, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBgpXwkwUKo
2. “Face Pain,” West Penn Allegheny Health System, accessed August 2, 2011, http://www.wpahs.org/agh/neuro/jannetta/Facepain.htm#Abscess
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