Identifying How Your Oral Health Is Affected by Stress

When the immune system is compromised, stress causes the brain to crave comfort foods or adopt bad habits like consuming alcohol and smoking. Individuals may all respond to stress in different ways. Your dental health may be at risk as a result of these bad practices.

Your gums, teeth, and jaws can be protected from the damaging effects of stress if oral health problems are caught early enough. If you want your dentist to address the effects of stress on your dental health, let them know about your general health.

It is crucial to visit your dentist or dental hygienist every six months, even when you are under stress. 

These characteristics may help your dentist spot any indications of stress on your dental health, including the ones listed below.

Neglected Oral Health

Self-care becomes less significant when under stress, and comfort comes from indulging in foods that stimulate the mind, such as those high in carbohydrates, sugar, and caffeine. 

An unbalanced diet and disregard can bring on plaque accumulation, cavities, and even tooth loss for oral hygiene practices.

Dry Mouth

Saliva cleans off food residue from teeth, maintains oral moisture, remineralizes enamel, and aids in bacterial defense. However, stress causes you to produce less saliva, which leads to more plaque buildup and a higher risk of dental problems. 

In addition to causing dry mouth, excessive alcohol and tobacco use can also lead to gum disease and tooth damage.

Clenched Jaws

Although muscular tension protects the body from harm and pain, it can also lead to TMJ if it is present all the time in your jaw due to ongoing stress. Your jaw and the area surrounding your ears hurt as a result of this illness. 

You can have trouble opening your mouth or chewing, and your temporomandibular joint may make a clicking sound.

Teeth Grinding

You might clench or grind your teeth when you’re anxious and stressed out. Most people, especially those who grind their teeth while sleeping, are unaware of it. 

Teeth grinding puts a lot of strain on your teeth, which can lead to chipped or loose teeth, dental sensitivity, tongue indentations, and temple pain.

Canker Sores

Mouth ulcers that develop inside the mouth are known as canker sores. They can be brought on by stress as well as overly aggressive tooth brushing, cheek-biting, consuming very acidic foods, and smoking.

Cold Sores

Unless under stress, the herpes simplex virus, which causes cold sores, is frequently dormant. Herpes simplex can cause gum sores, which make it difficult to brush and floss.

Cold sores often remain for five to seven days, and if you don’t brush for that long, you risk tooth decay and gum disease.

Conclusion

Eliminating the source is the greatest method to combat the detrimental effects of stress on your oral and general health. Yoga, meditation, journaling, exercise, or counseling may be able to assist you in de-stressing if that isn’t possible.

Your dentist may also suggest a specific course of action based on your symptoms. For instance, they might recommend more frequent dental cleanings, orthodontic care to realign your teeth, or the fitting of a night guard to stop bruxism.

Maintaining good dental hygiene is also essential. Continually brush and floss your teeth, use mouthwash, and have your gums and teeth checked by a dental hygienist.

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