Stress affects every one of us in many ways, with most of its effects attributed to the body. However, you might not be aware that stress plays a crucial role and can have severe consequences on your teeth and gums. Often, the first thing that goes awry when you are stressed is the neglect of your oral hygiene and self-care. Simple tasks, such as brushing and flossing, become arduous. Then the urge for the intake of sugary substances skyrockets, which subsequently would lead to a severe impact on your teeth. These impacts could be canker sores, gum disease, teeth grinding, amongst others. There is much more to stress and its effect on the teeth. Follow us as we tell you more.
Stress and its Effect on the tooth.
The tooth is referred to as one of the strongest parts of the body. However, there are a few ways to affect its strength and durability. These effects would affect parts of the mouth like:Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ) Disorder
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ) Disorder is a disorder often caused by stress and anxiety, leading to the overuse of jaw muscles. This forces your jaws to clench and teeth grinding. Over time this can also shift your jawline.
Teeth Grinding
Stress can cause you to clench your teeth at night or slide them back and forth over each other. The medical term for teeth grinding is bruxism. Bruxism can cause your teeth to be misaligned, create an impact on your jaws, and sleep apnea. If ignored, teeth grinding can cause severe chronic conditions such as:
- Broken or chipped teeth
- Jaw pain
- Sleep disorders
- Headaches
- Abnormal tooth wear
- Change in the appearance of your face
We propose a nightguard to help you treat the symptoms and reduce the damage caused by grinding the teeth.
Canker Sores
Inconclusively, the cause of canker sores is tied to stress and anxiety. It often occurs during high-stress times, but possible causes can include
- Emotional stress
- Hormonal change
- Allergic reactions
- Brushing too hard
- Food sensitivity and more
Gum Disease
Research has proven stress to be one of the causes of gum diseases. These facts point that when the body is stressed, its ability to produce immune cells to combat bacteria faces reduction. As the immune system deteriorates, your body finds it hard to fight bacteria, which increases gum inflammation resulting in weak gums, bleeding, and pain when eating.
Here’s what we would suggest
Find the root cause of the stress first and aim to resolve it. Of course, sometimes, the challenges are much more complicated but make time to decompress, eat well, and hydrate. Avoid things that would add more stress to your life. If the sores persist, see your dentist. Your dentists would be able to offer solutions to minimize the impact of stress on your teeth. As mentioned, tools such as mouth guards would help you, mainly when you are sleeping is when you are not aware of your clenching and teeth grinding.
Remember you can visit our dental clinic in Abuja and Lagos.
