How to avoid the negative impact of stress on your oral health

Most people are aware of the effects of stress on the body, though many don’t realize that it also affects the teeth, jaw, and a number of other oral tissues. Nearly everyone suffers from some form of stress in their life, but some people deal with more stressful situations than others. Regardless of whether you face a little or a lot of stress in your daily life, there is a good chance that the stress is impacting your oral health.

Some of the oral health conditions associated with stress include:

• Teeth grinding or clenching (bruxism) – Usually occurs at night while asleep, and is known to cause damage to tooth enamel and teeth, as well as headaches and jaw soreness
• Gum disease – Stress tends to lower your immune system, reducing the ability of the body to fight against harmful bacteria in your mouth
• Dry mouth – Can be a side effect of stress or the medications taken to manage stress or depression, reducing your ability to wash away food particles and neutralize the acid in your mouth, increasing the risk for gum disease, tooth decay, and infection
• Tooth decay – Stress can lead to neglect of proper oral hygiene, and encourage unhealthy lifestyle choices that increase the risk for decay
• Canker sores – Though harmless, the white spots that form on the soft tissue of the mouth can be very painful

How can you improve your oral health and reduce stress?

During your routine dental visits, it is important that you talk to your dentist about any stress-related issues you may be experiencing, and how to manage the implications.

Treatment options to help alleviate painful symptoms include:

• Custom-fitted night guard – Can be worn at night to prevent tooth damage caused by clenching and grinding
• Avoiding hard or crunchy when in pain
• Avoiding alcohol and tobacco as coping mechanisms since they can make the oral symptoms worse (like through dehydration resulting in dry mouth)
• Take pain relief medications or try physical therapy or a gentle massage to help you relax
• Stay out of the sun or protect yourself with a strong sunscreen of at least SPF 30 to prevent cold sores
• Request your dentist or doctor for a prescription for antiviral drugs to prevent cold sores, or anti-inflammatory drugs to manage jaw inflammation

Final note

While managing and treating the symptoms may provide some relief, the biggest contributing factor to your deteriorating oral health is the stress itself. So, you need to consider stress reduction techniques to help manage painful oral health symptoms. Some options include: taking a break from work to relax; exercising and eating a diet rich in iron and proteins; staying hydrated; avoiding refined and excess sugar and caffeine; and changing your attitude.