Stress and Oral Health
Stress on the body can do some damage, we all know this. It can cause sleepless nights, sallow looking skin, under eye bags, brittle nails, and more serious issues such as heart disease. Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, there has been added stress to many of our lives. In times of stress, the body releases hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol, that increase your breathing and heart rate. An extended period of stress can keep these chemicals high for a prolonged amount of time, which can lead to high blood pressure and inflammation. But did you know that stress can show in, and affect, our oral health too? Dental researchers have found several links between stress and some of the most common oral health concerns or problems.
- Mouth sores: For example, canker sores or cold sores are one of the oral problems that are commonly caused by stress. Canker sores are just that, sore, open wounds on the inside of the mouth that can make speaking, sleeping, and eating difficult. Gargling with a warm salt water rinse can help, as well as some over the counter rinses for periodontal issues.
- Teeth grinding and/or temporomandibular joint disorder: stress can often cause you to grind your teeth. If you find yourself stressed before you go to sleep or having headaches when you wake up, you may be grinding your teeth at night, and should consult your dentist at Downtown Dental Centre in Regina.
- Constant clenching of the teeth: stress can cause you to clench your teeth in the middle of a thought or action without you even realizing it, which can wear down the surfaces of your teeth and could also lead to future problems with tooth fractures or even bone loss around the roots of your teeth. A dental appliance may help alleviate symptoms and remind you to ease up on your jaw.
- Gum disease: stress can affect your immune system and can cause damage to your gums. This coupled with the probable lack of time to brush or floss your teeth regularly, can worsen gum disease.
- Dry mouth: Stress is one of the main reasons you could have a dry mouth. You may find yourself having a dry mouth before presentations or before a stressful appointment. This causes a lack of saliva in your mouth and saliva has many health benefits, including washing away food particles from your teeth and gums.
How Your Team at Downtown Dental Centre Can Help.
Inflammation and stress in our body manifests itself in so many different ways. Reducing stress in your life, with practices like meditation, yoga, or mindfulness, or by changing jobs or taking a smaller course load, and eating a healthy diet that limits sugar can help keep your entire body healthier and happier. Some ways to reduce symptoms of these issues is to first speak to your dentist at Downtown Dental Centre in Regina. Your dentist can custom fit a night guard to protect your teeth from nighttime grinding and clenching. Avoid hard and crunchy foods when in pain, drink lots of water, and remember that tobacco and alcohol can make symptoms worse. Prescription medications can also cause dry mouth so you may want to discuss options with your pharmacist as well.
