The painful consequences of malocclusion

Many people neglect malocclusions. It may seem logical to think that your occlusion shouldn’t have a big impact on our well-being. However, this couldn’t be further from the truth. It turns out that a fourth of all headaches are caused by malocclusion. Aside from headaches, malocclusion may also cause pain in the eyes, neck, back, and spine. That’s why it’s a good idea to visit your dentist once in a while if traditional ways of treating headaches fail you. 
 
Temporomandibular joints – the source of everything
 
The main source of headache caused by malocclusion are the temporomandibular joints. These are very complex systems comprised of bones, ligaments, muscles, and joint discs, located symmetrically on both sides of the head. These are the elements connecting the jaws to the skull. Practically every jaw movement, e.g. eating, talking, etc., utilises these joints. The pain comes into play when a joint compression occurs -  this is a result of a jaw getting “overworked”. The joint compression causes tensions which are one of the most common reasons for migraines.
 
Pain may come with age
 
For many people, malocclusion comes with age. This is because teeth rub out, decreasing the contraction height. This is why, even if we’ve never suffered headaches caused by jaw tensions, we can still experience that in the future. It’s recommended that you visit an orthodontist if you feel pain in the head or neck, tension in the temple muscles, or experience tinnitus.