How can occlusal problems contribute to headaches?

• A. By causing chronic muscle hyperactivity and referred pain through trigger points in the jaw muscles.
• B. By increasing saliva production.
• C. By changing taste perception.
• D. By causing nasal congestion.

Answer: (A)

Occlusal problems can trigger headaches through jaw muscle overactivity and myofascial pain referral. When the bite is out of alignment, the jaw muscles often work harder to chew and stabilize the bite, sometimes with clenching or grinding. This sustained activation increases muscle tension, reduces blood flow, and sensitizes the muscle’s pain receptors. In the major masticatory muscles, especially the masseter and temporalis, tight bands can form known as trigger points. Pressing on these points reproduces facial and temple pain that can radiate to the forehead and around the head, producing headaches that resemble tension-type headaches or even migraine in some people. TMJ involvement can also contribute, as joint pain and movement-related discomfort can be felt as head pain via the same trigeminal pathways.

Other listed effects—more saliva, altered taste, or nasal congestion—don’t align with the mechanisms of occlusal disharmony, which target muscle tension and joint nociception rather than salivary or nasal function.