Treating Headaches with Dentistry

It is estimated that 45 million Americans suffer from chronic headaches. That equates to 1 in 6 Americans. Chances are you know someone that is one of these sufferers (if not you). At least half of the people have headaches so severe that is can be disabling and affect their lifestyle.

This can also be costly:

Chronic headache victims make over 8 million doctor visits/year
Migraine sufferers lose over 157 million workdays/year
Economic costs of lost time due to migraines is staggering

If you are living with chronic head, neck and facial pain, if you are taking more than 4 painkillers per week, if you have visited more doctors than you can count, the pain may not be in your head. Many times it is caused by a misaligned jaw, or a "bad bite". We use the latest techniques to treat your pain without drugs by gently realigning the muscles and nerves in your Temporal-Mandibular Joint, or TMJ. This is a small joint that cause big problems when it is out of place.

Find Headache Relief with Dr. Vanaria

Chronic headaches plague an estimated 1 in 6 people and cause American workers to lose more than a combined 157-million workdays per year. The cost in work time lost and medical treatment exceeds 50-million dollars per year. If you are one of the millions of sufferers, you know that headaches are painful, costly, and often debilitating, but did you also know that your dentist could hold the key to your relief?

What is TMJ Dysfunction?

Dr. Vanaria has helped headache sufferers in his Bryan, Texas dental office for years. Headaches, especially combined with face, neck, or jaw pain, often indicate a pain source other than your head. The temporomandibular joints, these little, triangular-shaped joints immediately in front of your ears, can cause a host of problems when even slightly misaligned. Clenching or grinding your teeth at night inflames the nerves and muscles associated with the temporomandibular joints. A poor bite, called a malocclusion, can also place undue stress on the TMJ, causing facial muscles to strain in order to hold the jaw. This, in turn, can stimulate stress in the head, neck, and shoulder muscles. The truth is that these tiny joints- some of the smallest in your body-take more pressure and stress than any other joints. You can read more about TMJ dysfunction in our patient library.

How Does Dr. Vanaria Treat TMJ Dysfunction Headaches?

Because TMJ dysfunction is so common, Dr. Vanaria screens every patient for the disorder. If he finds that you do, indeed, have TMJ dysfunction, he will work with you to structure a treatment plan that may include a combination of non-surgical TMJ therapy solutions to relieve your pain. Through the latest advances neuromuscular dentistry, he will determine whether your problem stems from a bad bite. If so, Dr. Rachana will introduce a two-part treatment system that begins with a convenient oral appliance, called an orthotic, which will allow align your jaw into proper position. Next, depending on your situation, Dr. Rachana may recommend bite restructuring, either through orthodontia or teeth restorations, like crowns.

You Can Be Headache-Free!

Through years of dedication to continuing studies, Dr. Rachana has stayed abreast of changing dental technology and current research on TMJ dysfunction and related headaches. You deserve relief. If headaches or other TMJ dysfunction symptoms keep you from living your life to the fullest.

Headache Treatment