13 Signs Your Headache Is TMD-Related

Do you have headaches, sore jaws, or neck pain on a regular basis?


If you do, it is a good idea to tell our doctors at DP Dental about them. But why us? First of all, it is important for us to have this information as part of your medical records. Depending on the type of headache, frequency, and severity, there are a variety of medical reasons that this can be important information for your dentists.

But most importantly, your headaches may be caused by an abnormal bite, and if so, our doctors at DP Dental can treat them more effectively than anyone else!

Headache is just one symptom that may be attributed to poor bite and/or teeth clenching and grinding induced Temporomandibular Joint Disorder. The following is a simplified list of certain signs and symptoms you should watch out for as early indications of TMD. If you find yourself in any of these situations, contact our doctors for a comprehensive diagnosis, and to discuss tried and proven solutions.

1. Your headache is more prevalent when you wake up in the morning or in mid-afternoon.

2. You frequently experience tension headaches.

3. Your headache is more severe when you chew.

4. Your headache is often in  areas near your temples, under or over your eyes, in the ear, and/or in the jaw area.

5. You may experience pain in the ear, possibly accompanied by ringing or buzzing sounds.

6. You hear clicking or popping noises when opening your jaw – in severe cases, your jaw may lock when you open your mouth, requiring manual assistance to close it.

7. Your jaw opening is limited (a good reference of normal opening is three fingers width).

8. Your jaw muscles are sore or tender; you may find that your back teeth  lacks the strength to bite down hard.

9. You have swelling on the sides of your face.

10. You have sensitive teeth in the absence of dental problems.

11. You’ve been told by your partner that you grind at night.

12. You find yourself clenching your teeth hard during the day, especially under stress. (Our lower jaw is usually 1-2 cm apart from our upper jaw in resting position under normal conditions.)

13. Your upper and lower teeth do not align properly; you may have overlapping teeth; your upper teeth may not cover your lower teeth; or you may have a very deep bite where you see very little of your bottom front teeth.

Visit the DP Dental page for more information on the symptoms and solutions to

Temporomandibular Disorder-related headaches.



This post was first published on DP Dental blog and has been reposted on Executive Lifestyle with the permission of the author.
Image credit: Shutterstock
Edited by Michelle Sarthou


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Louisa Lee

Louisa Lee is a parallel entrepreneur whose her passion for learning and teaching has led her to where she is today. Her core business is DP Dental, a progressive dental practice which utilises many state-of-the-art technology to deliver digital integrative dentistry, which she has been managing for the past 12 years. They now have two practices - the flagship in Kovan at Heartland Mall and another in Orchard at Scotts Medical Center. She also Director of Progressive Practice, providing cutting-edge and high quality education and consultancy services.


She is also founder of TEDxDuxtonHill, which seeks to provide social entrepreneurs with a platform to showcase their Audacious Projects which seek to impact millions and potential investors whose ROI is the number of impacts created. She is particularly passionate about championing a (R)Evolution in Healthcare and Education. She set up a group on Facebook called “Inspiring Kids, Congruent Parenting” to showcase the inspiring work of kids around the world and provide parents with the foundation to bring up their children prepared for the future. A strong supporter of philanthropy and CSR, she sits on the advisory board of Imagine Cambodia Foundation to raise funds for the home housing orphans or children from disadvantaged background and she is also a B1G1 Champion, which is about embedding the habit of impact giving within her businesses. She is honoured that she has been invited to be a Board Member of Connected Women Singapore, a community dedicated to driving technology adoption by women-led businesses and start-ups.

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