Headaches And Wisdom Teeth

Headaches can be caused by a variety of things. You may feel tension because of stress, improper nutrition or even too much caffeine. Headaches can also be caused by dental problems, including problems with your temporomandibular joint (TMJ) or tooth grinding. If neither of those symptoms applies to you, though, you may be suffering a dental headache due to impacted wisdom teeth.

Impacted wisdom teeth are a common symptom of wisdom teeth growing into the mouth improperly. Sometimes, wisdom teeth never negatively affect a person. Often, however, the wisdom teeth don’t have enough room to come in at the back of the mouth and end up emerging at an angle, getting stuck in the jaw, or bumping into the other molars. This action causes the other teeth to shift and for you to have an improper bite.

The improper bite can cause headaches because the lower jaw has to compensate for the irregularity, resulting in soreness and pain that can reach your head. Headaches are difficult to diagnose, but if you feel repeated pain, it’s a good idea to visit a physician or dentist and see if the problem lies in your impacted wisdom teeth.

If you do have impacted wisdom teeth causing headaches, the next best move is to get them removed. Though wisdom teeth extraction can seem frightening because of the recovery process, it is a common procedure usually performed on teenagers and young adults. This is to prevent the roots of the wisdom teeth growing longer while the lower jaw is less dense than it will become later in life. Generally, getting your wisdom teeth out sooner rather than later is the best way to do it.

Keep in mind that headaches can be caused by pain “referred” from other parts of the body. That’s why you may feel a headache instead of pain in your jaw or in your mouth from impacted wisdom teeth.  The source of the headache might be difficult to diagnose, but you may see other symptoms from impacted wisdom teeth, like cysts, red or swollen gums and bad breath. Impacted wisdom teeth might never result in any symptoms, but usually when the teeth are pushing on the others in the mouth, you start to experience pain. If you feel a headache and show other symptoms of impacted wisdom teeth, it’s time to go to the dentist and schedule a wisdom teeth extraction!