Most people are unaware that trigger points in their muscles (neck and face) can cause pain in their teeth. There are many trigger points in our face and neck that cause radiating pain to your upper or lower jaw.
Trigger Points From Temporalis Muscle (X) Refers Pain To Upper Arch
Trigger Points From Masseter Muscle (X) Refers Pain To Upper & Lower Arch and TMJ
Trigger Points From Your Neck Muscles (X) Can Refer Pain to Your Face, Head, & TMJ
That “toothache” that your Dentist has not been able to diagnose, could be coming from a Muscle Problem.
WE HAVE THE SOLUTION!
There are many ways we help relieve your achy muscles:
Trigger Point Therapy
Iontophoresis
Phonophoresis
Spray & Stretch
Call us today for your Head and Neck Muscle Evaluation to see if your
“tooth pain”
is Actually a “muscle pain”.
Headache Treatment
When the muscles of your head, face and neck tense and become painful, the feeling can spread up and around the sides of the head. This can be caused by a trigger point located deep within the muscle fibers. Learn more about our headache solutions above.
While hard to differentiate from a standard headache, TMJ headaches are often described as a ring of tension and pain (like trying to fit a too-small hat on your head). Beyond a headache, you may experience jaw or facial pain and tightness, restricted jaw movement and changes in bite ability. While TMD headaches don’t specifically cause migraines, the tension could be a trigger for them. Relieving tension through TMD therapy could help decrease your number of monthly headaches.
Unlike a typical headache, TMD headaches can rarely be relieved with at-home treatments. Instead, we recommend visiting a specialist for a customized solution, which could include massage therapy, oral appliance therapy, jaw exercises and more.
Toothache & Muscle Pain
TMD pain can affect the entire head and neck, including your teeth. While tooth-specific pain can occur when the TMJ muscles are working improperly, it can also be the result of cavities, enamel erosion and more.
TMD-related tooth pain can vary from dull and constant to sporadic and sharp. In addition to tooth pain, other facial and head pain can occur simultaneously (like headaches or pains to other nearby areas of the mouth).
Treating TMD issues can treat associated tooth pain (if the tooth is not decaying or infected). For short-term relief at home, try a warm compress to the facial muscles and NSAIDs (like Advil). For long-term relief, contact a TMJ specialist for a personalized solution.
Tooth extraction, in particular wisdom tooth extraction, may contribute to TMD issues (though the chances of this are low). The typical issue is inflammation of the tendons and facial muscles from being opened really wide during the procedure. Learn more about relief for tooth and jaw pain.
You can get short-term jaw relaxation with a warm, moist compress at home, but the ideal step is working towards long-term relief with a top TMJ specialist.
While muscle weakness and loss of movement are generally more common, TMJ issues can cause muscle spasms and twitching. Learn about how massage therapy can soothe muscles.