We know stress is the leading cause of most mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression. However, most people are unaware that stress also has a significant effect on our dental health. Here are some ways that stress can affect your teeth:
Gum Disease
Stress has a detrimental effect on your physical health, including your immune system. Thus, your body cannot fight diseases, meaning that your body will be prone to disease and infection, including gum diseases. Since the immune system is weak because of stress, it lacks its natural ability to fight off the progression of gum disease. If you do not visit the dentist to treat the gum disease, it will quickly progress to periodontitis.
Teeth Grinding
Occasional teeth grinding has no harm to your dental health. However, when teeth grinding occurs frequently, it can cause loss of teeth, fractured teeth, and jaw pain. One of the major causes of teeth grinding is stress and anxiety. When you are stressed, you may clench your teeth in your sleep. Teeth grinding can also occur during the day in stressful situations.
TMJ Disorders
The temporomandibular joints (TMJ) on either side of the jaws control the movement of the jaw. If you experience pain in the jaw joints and muscles, you may have a TMJ disorder. These affect your physical and dental health by causing jaw pain and headaches as well as difficulty opening and closing the mouth. While there are many reasons you could experience a TMJ disorder, perhaps the most common one is stress. During stressful situations, you may clench your jaw, causing tension and pain that can cause complications with the temporomandibular joints.
The first step in dealing with stress is to acknowledge it. One of the best things you can do to manage your stress is to seek help from a medical professional. You can also try to indulge in activities such as exercise, deep breathing, yoga, and meditation to help you manage stress.
We know stress is the leading cause of most mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression. However, most people are unaware that stress also has a significant effect on our dental health. Here are some ways that stress can affect your teeth: