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Guide · Diagnosis

Recognising headaches from the jaw: 9 signs and a 3-minute self-check.

Not every headache comes from the jaw. These nine signs suggest that the jaw system could be involved. With the self-check, you can roughly assess it at home.

Dr. med. dent. Bodo S. von Gadomski Dr. med. dent. Bodo S. von GadomskiDentist · Founder of the CMD-Klinik
9 min read 9 signs · Self-check · Assessment
Contents · 7 questions
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Jaw-related headache often feels like tension-type headache and can intensify migraine. That is why it is easily overlooked. The following signs do not replace an examination, but they help you decide whether an assessment makes sense.

Question 01 of 7

Can headaches come from the jaw?

In shortYes. The chewing muscles lie exactly where many people feel their headache, and the trigeminal nerve connects jaw and head. In migraine, the jaw system is more of an amplifier than a cause.

The reference standard for CMD, the DC/TMD criteria, has its own diagnosis: headache attributed to TMD. It sits at the temple, changes with jaw movement and can be provoked by pressure on the temple muscle. However, this category is considered the least reliable in the whole classification. That is why it belongs in the hands of specialists.

Question 02 of 7

Which 9 signs point to it?

In shortMorning pain, clicking, grinding, tender chewing muscles, one-sidedness, neck tension, pressure behind the eyes, onset after dental treatment and normal findings.

  1. Worst in the morningYou wake up with a headache or pressure at the temples, and it improves during the morning. This points to clenching at night.
  2. Clicking or grating in the jaw jointwhen opening, chewing or yawning. On its own it is not a sign of disease, but together with headache it is a clue.
  3. Clenching or grindingduring the day when concentrating or at night, often noticed by a partner or the dentist.
  4. Tender chewing musclesTemples and cheeks hurt when pressed, especially in front of the ear and above the angle of the jaw.
  5. One side worsePain and tension tend to be on the same side as the clicking joint.
  6. Tense neck and shouldersThe tension is stubborn and quickly returns after massage or physiotherapy.
  7. Pressure behind the eyesoften with sensitivity to light, without the ophthalmologist finding anything.
  8. Onset after dental treatmentThe symptoms increased after a crown, a larger filling, braces or after keeping the mouth open for a long time.
  9. Normal findingsNeurology and imaging found nothing dangerous. That is good news and the prerequisite for checking the jaw system.

Rule of thumb: the more points apply, and especially the combination of morning pain with grinding or clicking, the more worthwhile an assessment is.

Question 03 of 7

How do I do the self-check?

In shortIn three minutes in front of the mirror: measure mouth opening, feel the chewing muscles, watch for deviation and noises, look at the edges of your tongue.

  1. Mouth openingPlace three fingers stacked vertically between your front teeth. That is about four centimetres. If this is limited or painful, the joint may be involved.
  2. Straight pathOpen slowly in front of the mirror. If your chin deviates to one side or moves in an arc, note the side.
  3. NoisesPlace your fingertips directly in front of your ears and open slowly. Do you feel a click or grating?
  4. Feel the chewing musclesBite together briefly to find the muscles on your cheek and temple. Then relax and press firmly with two fingers. If this triggers your familiar headache, that is a clear clue.
  5. Tongue and cheeksTooth marks on the edge of the tongue or a white line on the inside of the cheek are often caused by clenching.

The self-check gives clues, not a diagnosis. Stop if a movement is very painful.

Question 04 of 7

How do migraine and jaw-related headache differ?

In shortMigraine comes in attacks, often throbbing and with nausea. Jaw-related headache is more pressing, sits at the temple and is linked to chewing, clenching and time of day.

More likely migraine

  • Attacks lasting 4 to 72 hours
  • Throbbing, often one-sided
  • Nausea, sensitivity to light and noise
  • Movement makes the pain worse
  • Sometimes an aura beforehand

More likely jaw-related

  • Pressing, at the temple or cheek
  • Worst in the morning or after long chewing
  • Can be triggered by pressure on the chewing muscle
  • Jaw movement changes the pain
  • Clicking, clenching or grinding

Both can exist at the same time. Overloaded jaw muscles can lower the threshold for migraine attacks. Classifying the headache therefore remains the task of neurology.

Question 05 of 7

What does it mean if several signs apply?

In shortThat an assessment of the jaw system is worthwhile once serious causes have been ruled out by a doctor. It is not definite proof.

The order matters: first your GP or neurology checks whether anything dangerous is behind it. After that, the jaw system can be measured. A first structured assessment is provided by the CMD self-test with 20 questions.

See a doctor immediately rather than waiting: sudden, extremely severe headache · fever with a stiff neck · paralysis, visual or speech disturbances · headache after a fall.

Question 06 of 7

Who assesses this, and how?

In shortA dentist specialising in functional diagnostics. Bite position, muscle activity, chewing forces and lower-jaw movement are measured.

In the CMD Systems Check we measure, among other things, how hard your chewing muscles work using EMG, and electronically, with what force your teeth meet. In addition, there is movement analysis, posture and a manual examination. Only these data show whether the jaw system is involved.

Question 07 of 7

What if none of the signs apply?

In shortThen the cause probably lies elsewhere, and neurological treatment remains the right path.

That too is useful: one possibility fewer. You will find other common causes in the article Constant headaches: the 7 most common causes.

More questions, already answered

Sources

  • Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD): headache attributed to TMD, reliability of categories
  • International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition (ICHD-3)
  • Reviews on TMD and migraine, as cited on our page for neurology

This article is for general information and does not replace a medical or dental diagnosis. The self-check gives clues, not certainty.

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