Headaches can be debilitating to day-to-day life. Often headaches are caused by stress, dehydration, underlying medical conditions – and sometimes the cause may remain unknown. One lesser known cause of headaches may be malocclusion, which is the condition when one’s bite is misaligned. Braces or other orthodontic treatments are usually used to fix a misaligned bite, and can help to alleviate the headache symptoms of malocclusion.
Malocclusion Explained
Malocclusion is a condition in which the top and bottom jaws do not properly align. For a number of reasons, improper alignment of the jaws is fairly common, causing issues with biting and speech – and placing strain on the temporomandibular joints and muscles that control the jaw. Often people with malocclusion have crooked teeth, overbites or underbites, and sometimes tooth decay can be prevalent. Additionally, headaches are common in those who have misaligned jaws.
How to Help Headaches from Malocclusion
Your orthodontist is the best person to address malocclusion – likely through the use of braces to guide the teeth into a more suitable position. A better bite pattern will help to relieve pressure on the jaw muscles and joints, and in turn can alleviate headache symptoms.
Many people may ignore their headache symptoms as being caused by stress or another cause, but when the headaches are frequently accompanied by facial or jaw pain – misalignment of the teeth may be a factor. If you believe that you are experiencing headaches due to malocclusion, you should aim to see your orthodontist for an exam.
