Headaches
Headaches and the bite
This visit is for adults whose headaches, or aching at the temples and cheeks, may be coming from clenching or from sore chewing muscles.
Most headaches don't start in the jaw. A dentist can check whether the muscles you chew with are part of yours. We don't diagnose the kind of headache you have. Your doctor does.
What happens
One to three visits is usual: the exam, and a check-in if we try a guard or exercises.
- 01
Step 1: Your headache story
When it comes, where it sits, what time of day, what helps. Bring notes if you keep them.
- 02
Step 2: The muscles and the jaw
We feel the temple, cheek and jaw muscles and see whether pressing on them matches your ache.
- 03
Step 3: Your teeth and bite
We check for wear and cracks, and for how your teeth meet.
- 04
Step 4: What we would try, in writing
Home steps, a night guard, or a note to your doctor first. A written estimate comes with any treatment.
Comfort, choices and care
Comfort
No numbing is needed. Pressure on the muscles is gentle, and you can tell us to stop.
If you wait
Waiting to see a dentist is fine. Waiting on a headache that is new, or different from your usual ones, is not. See your doctor first.
Risks and after-care
A trial of a guard or jaw exercises carries little risk, and it may not change your headaches. If a fair trial doesn't help, we say so and stop.
How it's billed
Dental plans seldom pay for headache care. A night guard may be covered in part. We check and write down what we find before we start.
How fees work
What we look at, and when we refer
What we look at
The temple, cheek and jaw muscles
Whether pressing on them reproduces your ache
Wear and cracks on the teeth
How a night guard would sit
When we refer
A headache that is new for you, or unlike your usual ones: your doctor first
A sudden, severe headache, or one with weakness, trouble speaking, vision changes, or a stiff neck and fever: call 911
A headache after a blow to the head: an emergency room
Headaches we can't link to the jaw: your doctor
Questions about headaches and the bite
Can a dentist treat migraines?
No. Migraines are diagnosed and managed by your doctor. We check whether clenching or sore chewing muscles are adding to your pain.
How would I know my headaches are jaw-related?
Often you wouldn't. The exam helps, and so does a record of when they come. We tell you what we find and what we can't tell.
Should I see my doctor first?
If your headaches are new, changing or severe, yes. If they are long-standing and your doctor has looked, a jaw exam is reasonable.
Provided by a general dentist
Dr. Radha Mukherjee, DDS, general dentist, licensed in Michigan. This is not specialty care.