A migraine is much more than just a headache: it is a quite common neurological disease.
According to the WHO, it is one of the most disabling diseases to live with, ranking eighth, and affects 15 % of the world’s population. In addition, 40 % of people with chronic migraines suffer more than one attack per month, and 80 % of these attacks are of severe intensity.
The onset of migraines can occur for different causes, with one of the most recurrent being dental problems. Despite this, and in most cases, patients do not even consider the possibility.
Identifying the source in time is the key to controlling migraine attacks and their intensity, and for this reason, today we are going to look at the main oral and dental problems that tend to lead to the chronification of this neurological disease.
Which oral problems can cause migraines?
Both headache and toothache are transmitted through the same nerve, the trigeminal nerve, whose function is to innervate the face and jaws to enable chewing.
It is because of this direct link that the inflammatory processes caused by the vast majority of oral diseases have the capacity to aggravate episodic migraine to the point of becoming chronic.
Some of the oral ailments that influence the chronification of migraines are:
- Loose, missing or misplaced teeth can lead to chronic muscle inflammation by overstraining the jaw muscles in aligning the teeth, swallowing and even keeping the mouth closed.
- Bruxism can lead to morning migraines as a result of the muscle tension accumulated during the night, but it can also lead to cracked or broken teeth.
- By affecting the joints and muscles of the jaw, temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) also play an important role in the development of migraines. In fact, studies show that 35% of migraine sufferers suffer from migraines at the same time as jaw pain.
- Misaligned teeth, tooth decay, or gum disease such as periodontitis or gingivitis can also cause toothache and, at the same time, trigger a migraine of greater or lesser intensity.
