Pasadena, Texas Family Dentist Dr. Nugent talks about TMJ problems:
Dental offices have treated and helped more and more people with their headache problems. For years, we assigned all of these names to headaches, like muscle tension headaches, neuralgia, migraine and so on, and it seems that many headache patients share one very common trait- They clench or grind their teeth at night!
Most medical research has shown that headaches, even people with classical migraine headaches, have no physical reason, no vascular problems and no neurological problems; in fact their physician’s exam will give no physical reason for the pain. Many patients have had CAT scans and MRI’s that were negative, and find that drugs really don’t help their problem; instead the medication makes them groggy and “drugged out.”
What research has discovered is that people who can control their nighttime clenching and grinding will get tremendous relief for their headaches and neck aches. Many people do so much unconscious clenching of their jaw muscles that when they wake up, their teeth are sore, their muscles are already tired, and they are set up for the beginning of a headache from the start of the day, if they don’t wake up with one.
Many patients run the gamut of the medical world’s attempts to control their headaches- with multiple drugs, injections and so on, without ever thinking that the pain might be muscular in origin. But just like back pain is often muscle spasm, the pain we call TMJ, as well as headaches of many sorts are very much caused by overuse of the muscles of closing the jaws.
We would recommend that if you or a loved one has chronic headache problems, that you give us a call and let us take a look. It can do no harm, and it might very well make a huge difference in your lives!
Dr. Nugent serves the Pasadena, Deer Park, League City, La Porte, Friendswood, Clear Lake, Webster, Pearland andHouston Texas. His office is located at 3421 Burke Rd Pasadena Texas 77504. Dr. Nugent’s dental practice sees patients of all ages. Dr. Nugent is a local leader in Cosmetic, General, Implant, and Sedation Dentistry.
Cosmetic Dentistry can give you a beautiful smile. Dental implants are the most advanced way to replace missing teeth. Dental implants can turn old fashioned dentures into dental implant dentures. With Sedation Dentistry, patients are relaxed and calm during their dental treatment. Do not let fear of the dentist prevent you from going to the dentist. Pain free dentistry and no fear dentistry is possible with sedation dentistry. We look forward to seeing you soon.