Stress and its Impact on Dental Health
It may sound surprising to you, but stress can considerably impact your health, including various mental, physical issues as well as dental related issues.
Stress is a known cause of gut issues and low immunity issues; however, many don’t realise that it can also trigger common teeth, mouth and gum concerns that cause ongoing problems.
7 Stress-Related Dental Impacts
We’ve put together 7 dental health issues related to stress.
- Grinding your teeth
Teeth grinding experienced when you’re sleeping is often caused by stress. It causes various issues from headaches, jaw and neck pain, and damaging your teeth.
You may experience broken or loose teeth if you’re a teeth grinder. Your dental professional may suggest wearing a mouthguard when sleeping to prevent further damage.
- Mouth ulceration
Also referred to as canker sores, mouth ulcers from stress are common side effects. While essentially harmless, they cause discomfort and pain.
Minimising your stress triggers is likely to reduce mouth ulceration. It’s also not unusual for a dentist to recommend a gel to help reduce the pain.
- TMJ
This disorder is where the joints below your ear are stiff or swollen due to clenching your jaw or grinding your teeth – which are stress-related.
Related symptoms include pain in the jaw or clicking when eating or biting down. Our Evergreen dentists can help you with a source of treatment.
- Disease of the gums
A known reaction to stress is low immunity, which in turn means you’re more likely to get infections, including disease of the gums. Symptoms can include anything from swollen gums, smelly breath, bleeding gums and in some instances, loss of a tooth.
- Decaying teeth
Keeping up with brushing and flossing can often take a back seat when living with stress. Without regular oral care, you’re more likely to experience tooth decay.
Along with drinking alcohol and using tobacco, stress is a significant contributor to poor dental hygiene.
- Saliva reduction
Stress can cause a syndrome called dry mouth and is also a result of medication used to treat depression and anxiety. The reduction in saliva contributes to the decay of teeth and disease of the gums.
Seek advice from our dentists at Evergreen, who can give you options to alleviate symptoms.
If you’re living with stress and it’s affecting your dental hygiene, the Evergreen team recommend chatting to one of our experienced dentists sooner than later.
