Not coping with stress may increase teeth-grinding

An article that appeared in Time magazine cites a single study discussing the relationship of poor stress coping to increased teeth grinding. Both doctors and the scientific community have known this connection for years.

You can find the original Time Magazine article here:-

Not coping with stress may increase teeth-grinding

Although up to 70% of people who grind their teeth do not report having jaw pain or other TMJ disorder related symptoms, some people do experience jaw pain, and grind their teeth and recognize their difficulty in coping with stress.

The enamel (the outermost layer of our teeth) wears down in a distinct manner if you were grinding your teeth and this can be identified by your dentist. So if you recognize recent difficulty to cope with stress and you are experiencing jaw pain or headaches, talk to you dentist.

Teeth grinding as a response to stress is believed to a subconscious reflex driven by a part of our brain called the limbic system that co-ordinates all our primitive responses to stress. Cognitive Behavioral therapy and relaxation therapy through a trained health psychologist are very effective strategies  to decrease the distress from the teeth grinding behavior. Unfortunately, due to the social bias regarding these treatment options, people hesitate to seek the support. But with more scientific data shedding light on the benefits of these treatment options,  and with more and more health care professionals becoming aware of those benefits, patients can seek support from their dentists and doctors more readily.

So, thank you Time magazine for not feeding into popular myths but really featuring what is clearly important information that needed validation.

The headache connection..

In my clinical practice, I have learned to be not surprised by the many patients having TMJ related headaches. Yes. Headaches go hand in hand with TMJ disorders. About 80% of the patients with a TMJ disorder and or any other facial pain complaint have concurrent headache complaints.

How will I know my headache is related to my TMJ disorder?

Headache related to a TMJ disorder usually presents as a dull, pressure, ache that usually occurs in the temple region of your forehead, that may get worse with jaw movements, especially with the clenching of your teeth. All headaches need to be first evaluated by your family physicians before being treated as being related to your TMJ disorder.

How common is it to have a headache along with jaw issues?

Believe it or not, up to 80% of patients with jaw pain, experience headaches and most of the patient in treatment for their jaw pain, report a concurrent improvement in their headache symptoms.

I have migraines. Could those be related to my jaw/TMJ problem?

Clinically, patients do report more frequent severe headaches like migraines if their jaw pain has worsened in intensity. After having addressed their migraine complaint medically with a Neurologist, it is adviced to explore the possible association with their TMJ complaint with a TMJ and facial pain specialist.

I know I get a headache and I know its related to me clenching my teeth. Now what do I do?

Talk to your family doctor, or even your dentist. They may be able to refer you to a local TMJ/facial pain specialist for further help. Headache related to TMJ disorders,  commonly occurs because of tensed muscles in your temples that are really your jaw muscles located up there. So, a specialist would either make you a mouthguard known as a "Splint" to prevent the teeth clenching from contributing to a headache or may use physical therapy techniques to relieve the muscle tension and or use other tools including medications.


Until I get to see a doctor, what can I do to help myself?


First and foremost if you have a new headache that is severe, and you notice nausea, vomiting or blurred vision, PLEASE SEE YOUR DOCTOR ASAP. 


For a headache that feels like a "regular" tension headache, applying moist heat/cold, eating soft foods, avoiding chewing gum and consciously unclenching your teeth are all comforting to the muscles.

For further information, the American Headache Society (AHS) has useful information for patients suffering with headaches and the link to their website is posted on the side bar in this blog page.

For the official AHS summary for Temporomandibular disorder and Headache, you can click here:

http://www.achenet.org/education/patients/TemporomandibularDisordersandHeadache.asp