Can Stress Impact Your Oral Health?
Stress can affect your health in a number of ways, including loss of hair and high blood pressure. What some people do not realize is that stress can have an impact on your oral health, too. If you are experiencing stress, here is what you need to know.
How Does Stress Impact Oral Health?
Stress can wreak havoc on your oral health in a number of ways. One possible consequence of being stressed is teeth grinding. When you grind or clench your teeth in response to stress, you can damage the enamel. Without the enamel protecting the teeth, you can experience problems, such as increased sensitivity and cavities.
Gum disease also can occur. When you are stressed, your immune system tends to be weakened. As a result, you are more vulnerable to harmful bacteria in your mouth. Infections that could lead to tooth decay and loss occurs at that point.
Some stress sufferers experience canker sores. The sores appear as small white spots with red borders. You could have trouble with eating while dealing with the sores.
What Can You Do?
The obvious answer to eliminating the dental problems caused by stress is to find ways to alleviate the stress. Finding what works for you could require some trial and error, but there are many stress relievers you can try.
Some people find relief through exercise, massage therapy, and meditation. Another possible solution is to discuss the stressful situation with a trained therapist. The therapist can help you identify the source of your stress and create a plan for dealing with it.
You also need to focus on keeping up your dental health. In addition to the usual routine of brushing and flossing, regular checkups with your dentist are necessary. Depending on the dental problem you are suffering, the dentist can recommend a proper treatment plan.
For instance, if you have a teeth grinding issue, the dentist can fit you with a mouthpiece to wear at night to help reduce the occurrences of teeth grinding.
At home, you can avoid eating spicy or highly acidic foods if you are suffering from canker sores. The sores are agitated by those types of food. Treatment for the sores might not be necessary. In most instances, they disappear on their own.
It is important to focus on relieving stress. The sooner you do, the less likely it is the stress will impact your oral health. Talk to a dentist, like Timothy D Calkins DDS, for more help.
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