You may be experiencing pain in your temples and be wondering why your Invisalign is causing this to happen. There are a few different things that could be causing these symptoms. Headaches can be a common side effect of Invisalign, especially for first time users and when initially changing to a new tray. The aligners can cause you to clench your teeth which can result in tension headaches. Also, shifting your teeth can cause your bite to shift, which can sometimes result in a misalignment of your jaw. If you feel tension in your temples, headaches, or muscle pain in your jaw and cheeks, this is an indicator that you may be clenching or grinding your teeth with your trays in.
How should you manage these symptoms? If you are experiencing minor headaches when switching to a new tray, it should go away after you get used to it. If it is not interfering with your daily life and seems fairly manageable, the best thing to do is take some ibuprofen and wait until you get used to the trays. Doing this should be enough to manage your symptoms. However, if your headaches are bad enough that they start interfering with your daily life or sleep schedule even after taking ibuprofen, you should let your orthodontist know right away so they can evaluate what’s going on. It may be that your aligner is not fitting correctly, your bite is misaligned, or you are progressing too quickly with your medical treatment. Bad headaches and migraines that don’t go away are not a normal symptom of Invisalign and can indicate that something is wrong. If you experience this, please let your orthodontist know right away.
If you are in the Raleigh area and are interested in Invisalign, please visit us at Gladwell Orthodontics! You can visit our website to find out more and schedule an appointment. We look forward to meeting you and taking care of your dental needs!
