People are often burdened with simple to severe headaches caused by migraine and TMJ disorders. Other people may not know it, but migraines are one of the major attributes of inefficient operations in the workplace. According to the American Migraine Study, in the United States alone, 157 million workdays to this day and counting have been lost because of migraine and headache-related issues. A minor headache could also progress to migraine if the problem is not given professional attention.

A migraine is a life threatening disease with over 9,000 recorded deaths each year and the death toll being on the rise. About a million cases worldwide of fatal strokes on men and women below the age of 45 have been attributed to unattended fits of migraine. And in many obvious ways, migraine is also the reason for one to lose a career, with unproductivity on the limelight. If the flashes of light, blind spots, shaky arms and legs, nausea and photosensitivity do not subside with destressing activities, it’s time you went to a neurologist or a TMJ specialist.

Many people believe that migraines and stifling headaches will subside if self-medicated. While rest and a couple of ibuprofen tablets may take away the pain in a jiffy, the root cause of the pain may become intolerant to painkillers in the long-run, thus requiring advanced medication in the long-term progression of the migraine. This means heavier costs and varied complications.

In retrospect, what causes migraines anyway? Is it the food that we eat? Job-related stress? Malnourishment? Actually, there’s a more cerebral culprit – nocturnal clenching.

Nocturnal clenching is the involuntary grinding or clenching of teeth when we are sound asleep. In some cases, people cannot help grinding their teeth even if they are stress-free. A more scientific way to explain it is that people suffering from migraine or a TMJ disorder (TMD) suffer from a hypersensitivity to stimuli; these stimuli trigger the release of chemicals that inflame arteries and dilate blood vessels surrounding the brain—thus inducing the brain to induce pain. Moreover, whenever people clench or grind their teeth in their sleep, the secretion process hastens and thus giving people a more painful migraine attack.

So why is this all connected to dentistry?

For one, dental practitioners can narrow down the cause of the migraine, giving a more precise diagnosis on what precise region of the brain the pain is coming from. From here, dentists usually recommend the use of an FDA-approved Nociceptive Trigeminal Inhibition Tension Suppression System (NTI-TSS) for patients who suffer from involuntary grinding of the teeth. This device is fitted in-between the front teeth to prevent contact between the top and bottom cuspids, molars and canines. A diagram and video are shown below to further elaborate the mechanics of this device:

The effectiveness of this device is so overwhelming that both migraine and TMD sufferers have attested a sudden shift from stifling discomfort to absolute comfort in their daily lives.

But if the problem persists, we advise people to not only consult a dentist, but also a neurologist who specializes in migraine cases as well. Communicating with the neurologist on a regular basis will help find the right treatment or apparatus to suit the level of pain one is suffering from.

Doctors, especially ones that are not yet distinguished in their careers, tend to miss out a few points in their diagnoses. If you feel that the advice you’re getting from your current doctor is not helping, it’s time to see another doctor/neurologist. Do remember that keeping a tight budget on serious cases such as migraines and TMD will only worsen the situation. Plan ahead to ensure that you are getting the best treatment for your condition—it’s your life that’s on the line, anyway.

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