General Dentistry

Do you have frequent headaches? Do you take over-the-counter pain medications more often than you know is healthy because of this reoccurring problem? Have you seen a physician and had an extensive round of tests for headaches without any results? You are not alone. Over a million people suffer from chronic headaches and a large number are unable to be helped with conventional medical means.

About 25 years ago I was introduced to the concept of complete dentistry by one of the world's most accomplished dentists. He taught me how teeth had to work in harmony with the chewing muscles and with the jaw joint. And he taught me that bad things can happen when these three components work against each other. One of them is frequent headaches.

To uncover problems like this I always do a thorough exam for my patients that includes a simple but vital test that uncovers discrepancies between the teeth, muscles, and jaw joints. When discovered, these discrepancies become clues that lead me to ask questions about the symptoms they are experiencing. One of the very first questions I ask my patients when I sense a less than perfect bite is do they experience frequent headaches.

It’s very common to hear them report that they suffer from headaches they believe are caused by sinus problems, allergies, or just stress. They never make the connection between their headaches and their bite. I ask questions about grinding or clenching their teeth. Most of the time they are completely unaware of either of these habits—even when their teeth have severe wear that is clearly apparent.

This questioning uncovers a variety of symptoms that sometimes include sensitive teeth, loose teeth, worn teeth, broken teeth, jaw joint noises such as popping, clicking, cracking, ear aches, muscle pains in the face and neck, and others. I explain that the disharmony of the three components—the jaw joint, the muscles of mastication, and the teeth—creates stress that shows up in these symptoms.

One common question my patients ask after I have uncovered their problem is why no other dentist had ever said anything about this. I sometimes wonder why myself. But to be honest, a lot of dentists were never trained to treat these types of problems. It requires so much extra training to properly treat these disorders. I have to admit that I still learn new things all the time and I have been at this for almost 25 years.

Without going into further detail about how headaches and these other symptoms are corrected, I will try to simplify what our treatments are so they are easily understood. It all comes down to creating balance and harmony of the three components where there's now imbalance and disharmony.

We accomplish this is with the help of a mouthpiece called a splint. This splint is a custom made appliance which is fitted and adjusted so when it is worn, it creates an artificial perfect bite. This allows the muscles to relax and the joint to naturally reposition itself. There is no artificial manipulation of the muscles or joints. Patients wear this splint for an extended period of time and as the muscles relax, the joints naturally begin to reposition themselves. We continue to adjust the bite on the splint as this occurs until everything reaches a state of health. We know we are finished with the treatment when the frequent headaches or other symptoms are eliminated and the joint position is stable.

Then, and only, then do we adjust the teeth to match up with the new, healthy joint and muscle position. Health and comfort is achieved by very conservative means that are non-invasive, painless, and extremely effective.

I love to help my patients get rid of their chronic headaches. Knowing that I have done something that directly contributes to the quality of their lives is extremely gratifying. I’ve had a number of patients that I have treated in this manner tell me that this was the greatest thing that they have had done for them. Living with chronic headaches was robbing them of a happy, productive life.

If you or a loved one lives with chronic headaches, there is good news. These afflictions can be treated without harmful medications, dangerous surgery, or expensive treatments that have a low percentage of success. I suggest you contact us and take advantage of this true miracle of modern dentistry.

Dr. D. Scott Trettenero, DDS

Fort Myers Dentist – Call (239) 344-7210
Schedule a free consultation today.