From high blood pressure to disrupted sleep, there are many ways someone’s chronic stress can affect their overall health. The constant psychological pressure can cause stomachaches, anxiety, headaches, and all sorts of unpleasant side effects, but did you know that chronic stress can have negative consequences for your oral health? Here’s a few ways chronic stress can damage your teeth as well as a few tips for keeping them safe.
How Does Stress Affect the Body?
Stress is a state of worry or psychological tension arising from a difficult situation, and it affects the body by prompting sweat, increasing heart rate, making muscles tense, and other ways. While healthy stress is perfectly normal and helps people confront the challenges in their lives, excessive or chronic stress can exhaust the body’s resources. If someone’s body is not allowed to return to normal after a period of stress, their altered hormone levels will disrupt nearly all functions of the body.
How Can Chronic Stress Affect My Oral Health?
While there are many ways that chronic stress can harm your oral health, a few notable examples include:
- Teeth grinding: Also called bruxism, teeth grinding can be a conscious or unconscious stress response. Some people do it voluntarily when agitated during their waking hours, and others do it involuntarily in their sleep. This unfortunate reflex can erode your enamel or cause chips, cracks, or fractures to form in your teeth.
- Insufficient oral hygiene: When faced with overwhelming stress, many people fall into a debilitating state of depression. Someone dealing with depression may not have the energy or willpower to get up and take care of their oral hygiene properly every day, and this will increase their chances of developing tooth decay or gum disease.
- Sores: Canker sores, ulcers, white lines, and red spots developing on the lips are common and irritating problems, and some studies have found that they can be triggered by stress.
How Can I Protect My Oral Health When I’m Stressed Out?
Talking to your dentist can reveal a wealth of treatment options for protecting your teeth when you’re under excessive stress. A few of these include:
- Treat your teeth grinding: Luckily, there are things patients can do to reduce their teeth grinding and mitigate the damage it causes. If you grind your teeth while awake, being aware of the habit can help you quit it. If you grind your teeth while asleep, wearing a mouthguard to bed can protect your teeth and prevent much pain and dental damage.
- Avoid unhealthy coping mechanisms: Tobacco and alcohol are both bad for your oral health. Rather than using substances to cope, try exercising, meditation, or arts and crafts.
- Treat your pain: In many cases, oral or dental pain can be reduced through physical therapy, gentle massage, or over-the-counter pain relievers. If the pain persists or becomes debilitating, contact your dentist.
Don’t let stress hurt your beautiful smile. By taking the proper precautions, you can keep your teeth healthy when under pressure.
About the Practice
St. Albans Dental offers the best dental health services available in St. Albans City, VT. Led by Drs. Tyler Aten and Kelsey Cone, the staff ensures each patient receives personalized treatment in a clean and welcoming environment. Areas of expertise include general, cosmetic, restorative, and emergency dentistry. If you’d like a little help protecting your smile while under stress, contact the office online or dial (802) 524-4844.