Living in our high paced world with our busy schedules, we find ourselves becoming more stressed every day. We are told every day the negative aspects that this stress has on our bodies and health but did you know that this stress can also impact your oral health? Let’s take a look at how.
Canker sores or cold sores are often times caused by emotional stress and can cause pain for weeks. Stress can also cause worrying or repetitive thoughts which result in teeth grinding during sleep. After spending a night grinding your teeth you may wake up with a headache. Teeth clenching puts a lot of physical stress on your teeth and their surroundings. Stress may also cause us to forget our necessary oral hygiene routine which increases your risk of disease and decay in your mouth. Stress may also bring about poor eating habits causing you to miss necessary nutrients that are needed to keep your mouth healthy. Other poor habits that stress brings about could be smoking or drinking which can also increase the risk of disease and decay. Lastly, stress contributes to dry mouth. The saliva in our mouth is what keeps balance in the mouth. It washes away food particles and keeps our breath fresh. Dry mouth can often be caused by stress related symptoms.
But rather, stress can be managed by taking time for yourself and relaxing, getting plenty of rest and talking to someone when needed. If you feel that your stress is causing your issues for your oral health, schedule an appointment for a cleaning and feel free to ask any questions about how you can avoid disease and decay in your mouth because of stress.