Waking with a headache several mornings a week usually points to something that happened while you slept. Two common dental explanations are clenching or grinding through the night, and a bite that leaves the jaw muscles working to hold a comfortable position. Disturbed breathing during sleep is another frequent cause, and it can drive the grinding as well.
Do you have headaches, sore jaws, or neck pain on a regular basis?
If you do, it is a good idea to tell our doctors at DP Dental about them. Depending on the type of headache, their frequency, and their severity, there are a variety of medical reasons that this can be important information for your dentists.
But most importantly, your headaches may be caused by an abnormal bite, and if so, a dental assessment can establish whether that is the case.
Headache is just one symptom that may be attributable to poor bite and/or teeth clenching and grinding induced Temporomandibular Joint Disorder.
Why the timing matters
A headache that is at its worst on waking and eases through the morning behaves differently from one that builds during the day. That pattern suggests the cause was operating overnight rather than accumulating from daytime activity.
Clenching and grinding load the jaw muscles and joint for hours at a time during sleep. Those muscles run up the side of the head and into the temples, which is why the resulting headache is usually felt at the temples, in front of the ears, or across the forehead rather than at the back of the head.
Signs that fit this pattern:
- Worst on waking, easing over the first few hours
- Tenderness in the temples or just in front of the ears
- A tired or aching jaw in the morning
- Teeth that feel sensitive with no decay to explain it
- A partner who has heard grinding at night
- Flattened or worn tooth edges
What else causes morning headaches
Not every morning headache is dental. The alternatives worth considering:
- Disturbed breathing during sleep, including obstructive sleep apnoea. Repeated drops in oxygen overnight commonly produce a morning headache, usually dull and across the front of the head, alongside snoring, daytime sleepiness or waking unrefreshed. This overlaps with the dental picture, because grinding and airway problems frequently occur together.
- Medication overuse headache, where regular painkiller use produces a rebound headache that is often present on waking.
- Alcohol the night before, and dehydration.
- Uncontrolled high blood pressure, which can produce early-morning headaches.
- Poor sleep quality generally, from any cause.
A morning headache alongside loud snoring, witnessed pauses in breathing, or heavy daytime sleepiness is worth investigating for sleep apnoea rather than assuming the jaw is responsible. See can a dentist treat my snoring or sleep apnoea.
Symptoms of a TMJ Headache
The following is a simplified list of certain signs and symptoms you should watch out for as early indications of TMD. If you find yourself in any of these situations, contact our doctors for a comprehensive diagnosis and discuss the options available.
- Your headache is more prevalent when you wake up in the morning or in mid-afternoon.
- You frequently experience tension headaches
- Your headache is more severe when you chew.
- Your headache is often in areas near your temples, under or over your eyes, in the ear and/or in the jaw area.
- You may experience pain in the ear, possibly accompanied by ringing or buzzing sounds.
- You hear clicking or popping noises when opening your jaw; in severe cases your jaw may lock when you open your mouth, requiring manual assistance to close it.
- Your jaw opening is limited (a good reference of normal opening is three fingers width).
- Your jaw muscles are sore or tender; you may find your back teeth to lack the strength to bite down hard.
- There is swelling on the sides of your face.
- You have sensitive teeth in the absence of dental problems.
- You’ve been told by your partner that you grind at night
- You find yourself clenching your teeth hard during the day, especially under stress. (Our lower jaw is usually 1-2 cm apart from our upper jaw in resting position under normal conditions.)
- Your upper and lower teeth do not align properly; you may have overlapping teeth, your upper teeth may not cover your lower teeth, or you may have a very deep bite where you see very little of your bottom front teeth.
When to seek medical assessment
Some headache patterns need medical rather than dental assessment. See a doctor promptly if a headache comes on suddenly and severely, is unlike any you have had before, arrives with fever, a stiff neck, visual changes, weakness or confusion, follows a head injury, or is steadily worsening week on week.
For more information on the symptoms and solutions to a TMJ headache, give us a call at +65 6219 3082. Our dentists can assess whether your bite or jaw is contributing.
