A common but little-known cause of headaches has been identified

Unexpected cause of persistent headaches: doctor reveals connection with bite disorders

"Suffering from a dull, nagging headache, but it's not fatigue or migraine? The cause might be hiding in your smile. Orthodontist Irina Didenko, in an interview with "Gazeta.Ru," spoke about the little-known connection between tension headaches and hypertonicity of masticatory muscles caused by bite disorders.

"When occlusion is disturbed, the load on the dentofacial system is distributed unevenly, which can lead to overstrain of the masticatory muscles. This leads to their chronic spasm, which is associated with tension headaches," Didenko explained.

According to the specialist, with prolonged muscle hypertonicity, the muscles become a source of constant discomfort. Most often, patients complain of pressing pain in the temporal or occipital area, a feeling of heaviness in the head, and fatigue that doesn't go away even after rest.

Signs of bite disorders may not be obvious. Increased enamel wear, clicks or crunching in the temporomandibular joints, difficulty chewing, frequent pain in the face and neck area. Often patients complain of a feeling of "tiredness" in the jaws after prolonged talking or eating.

Bite disorders can also provoke bruxism - involuntary grinding or clenching of teeth, most often during sleep.

"Bruxism intensifies the overstrain of masticatory muscles and is often accompanied by morning headaches, feelings of being worn out and tired. Over time, this can negatively affect the condition of the teeth, causing dental enamel cracks and increased sensitivity," noted the orthodontist.

According to Didenko, the problem can be eliminated with orthodontic treatment - correcting the bite with braces or more modern aligners. During treatment, aligners help relieve tension in the masticatory muscles and also prevent tooth wear. Therefore, experienced doctors often choose this method for such clinical cases.

"Many patients are surprised that after correcting their bite, not only does their smile improve, but their headaches go away, sleep normalizes, and overall well-being improves. In fact, there's nothing surprising about this, because our body is a unified system where everything is interconnected and in which the bite plays a major role," the expert added.

The doctor emphasized that with regular headaches, especially those accompanied by teeth grinding, morning fatigue, or pain in the jaw area, it's worth consulting an orthodontist. "Proper diagnosis and a comprehensive approach will help eliminate not the symptoms, but the very cause of the problem," concluded Didenko.