We know that stress can do some horrible things to us: sleepless nights, stomach aches, bags under the eyes, ulcers, and possible heart complications. But did you consider that your mouth can also suffer if you are experiencing stress? This story came to me from drbicuspid.com and shows how dramatic a change can be when life takes a turn for the better or worse.
“This patient came in with the complaint of sore, bleeding gums. There were no obvious causes for this problem; she had very little dental plaque around her gum tissues. My associate referred her to her medical doctor to check for possible systemic diseases that could be sources of her mouth problem.
Her physician determined that there were no medical conditions that caused her sore, bleeding gums. After she returned to our office, she broke down emotionally and described her emotional and sexual abuse by her employer. My associate convinced her to make a life change.
She was fortunate and able to secure excellent employment with a different company in another state, quit her current job with her abusive employer, and relocate within a short period of time.
Four months later, she returned to our office. From the time she originally was seen in our office to the time she returned after her move, she did not receive any medical or dental treatment for her mouth lesions. Her only treatment was the removal of her emotional stress.
After she returned to our office all the gum lesions were gone — no soreness, no bleeding, and no lesions. Her original mouth condition was caused by severe emotional stress; her cure was the direct result of totally eliminating this stress from her life.”
Inflammation in our body manifests itself in so many ways. Reducing the stress in your life, and eating a healthy diet (especially limiting sugar) can help keep your mouth, and your entire body, healthier and happier!
*One other interesting case was recently shared from our periodontist, Dr. Jill Bashutski. She had a similar case as above, but the cause turned out to be an allergy or sensitivity to gluten. The inflammation of the gums cleared up within weeks of the patient altering their diet to eliminate gluten.
