“I Cured my Migraine in my Sleep”

By Dr Joel Weinberg

A new mouth guard

A new mouth guard is helping dentists bring relief to patients suffering from migraine. The Tension Suppression System (TSS) is estimated to have helped more than 500,000 people around the world who are laid low by these agonising headaches.

When fitted over the front teeth, the tiny clear plastic device prevents grinding—and the clenching of facial muscles which often leads to migraines.

Migraines

Migraine can be debilitating and once a bad attack has started it often has to run its course—although drugs can bring some relief. Once a migraine has been triggered it can be hours, sometimes days, before a sufferer feels well enough to resume their normal life.

More women than men are laid low by such headaches. Nobody is quite sure why, but neurologists believe hormonal changes might make women more susceptible.

Migraines and grinding

It is not clear how many people suffer from the effects of grinding teeth in the UK, but dentists estimate around 6 million. Not all get migraines. However a significant number of migraine suffers seem to have their condition aggravated by grinding. Researchers have found that during sleep, migraine victims clench the temporalis muscles, which cover the side of the skull, more intensely than people who do not experience migraines. The link has been established for many years but nobody has devised a way to relieve the pain it causes.

There are tooth-grinding guards, which cover the whole mouth. But because all the teeth still have a surface to grind against, some of the tension remains. The new device is hardly noticeable on the two front upper teeth. If the mouth closes, it prevents the back teeth from coming into contact with each other, so the clenching or grinding is not possible—reducing the likelihood of a migraine.

The TSS

A trial of the TSS for the American Food and Drugs Administration found that 82 per cent of users experienced a reduction in their migraine pain, and many reported being migraine-free for months. Those suffering from tooth pain or migraine wore the guard at night—although it can be worn during the day as well.

Does this affect you personally?

If this article touches on something that affects you personally, you could make an appointment. You can also ask Dr Weinberg for more information, using our online enquiry form.