If you are suffering from chronic or constant headaches, you may not realize that it could actually be tied to your oral health. Dental health and dental pain may actually be the reason for that headache. Headaches and dental pain have a lot in common, and finding that headache relief or head pain cure may require dealing with an oral health issue.
Pain as a result of a headache and/or toothache are both transmitted through the same nerve, the Trigeminal nerve. This nerve is the largest peripheral nerve in your head, and innervates the face, jaw, teeth and other oral structures.
Nerves, especially the Trigeminal nerve, can be long with many branches, or dendrites. This means that stimuli at one point can be carried and stimulate the nerve at other points. This cascading effect is likely to trigger a headache. This means that when a tooth is aching, as a result of a cavity or other oral health issue, this pain is transmitted down the nerve, and a headache may result.
This close anatomical link through this nerve is one probable connection between headaches and tooth pain. Other factors that may lead to migraines and head pain, based on anatomical positioning and closeness, are jaw clenching, and neck tension. These, along with the previous factors, make it difficult to decipher the exact cause of your migraine.
Thankfully, a dentist will be able to examine your mouth and teeth and help to determine if any dental pain may be resulting in head pain. Headache relief may be just a visit to the dentist away, so if you are suffering from migraines or chronic head pain, make sure you get your oral health examined.
