There is no denying that stress is a part of life. A small amount of stress can in fact keep you active and get you going. It can trigger either a fight or a flight response through a surge in hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. But excess and long-term stress can undermine your physical and mental health in the form of headache, stomach ache, anxiety, sleep deprivation, irritability, early ageing and even a heart problem. Turns out, it does not spare your oral health either!
SmyleXL dental clinic in Viman Nagar offers all types of dental treatments like root canal, teeth dental implants, cosmetic dentistry etc.
- When you are stressed you pay less attention to oral hygiene practices affecting your oral health leading to gum disease and decay.
- You may end up gorging on more sugary food than you usually do causing more dental cavities.
- High levels of hormones released during stress reduce saliva production and also decrease immunity. And this in turn could lead to increased risk of oral infections. (Read: Want to reduce stress and anxiety? Travel!)
- The risk of unfavourable outcome of gum disease treatment also increases if you are stressed.
- Stress can cause you to habitually grind your teeth at night during sleep (bruxism). Tooth grinding or clenching can wear down or chip your teeth and exert excess force on the tissues supporting the teeth ultimately causing bone loss. Once your teeth lose their supporting bone, you may lose them sooner than you would otherwise.
- Do you often get those white or greyish ulcers with red borders in your mouth? Could be, you are stressed out. The causes of these ulcers, also called canker sores, are unknown. They could be due to bacteria, viruses or problems in the immune system. But what is known is that these ulcers can be triggered by stress. (Read: Stressed out? Try these yoga poses)
- When you are stressed, your jaw muscles become sore and painful due to grinding and clenching of the teeth. The muscles also work overtime causing them to become more prominent thus giving you a more pronounced jawline. You may also have pain and discomfort when the jaw joints ultimately pull out of alignment. Stress can also worsen existing jaw joint disorder symptoms like difficulty in biting or chewing, jaw pain, difficulty in mouth opening or closing, etc.
- So, the next time you notice any of the above symptoms, take some time out to figure if stress could be causing them. If so, take a break from your routine and smell the roses!
source: thehealthsite