How Can Stress Affect Oral Health?

Stress is a normal response to challenging or dangerous situations. However, everyday stress can turn into something more serious. Did you know that your oral health and physical health are related? This means that any oral health issues or concerns you may be having may be the result of something going on with your overall health. Stress is one of the most common problems that can cause both your oral and overall health to suffer. Our dental office in Vero Beach is here to explain how stress can affect your oral health, as well as what you should be doing to combat it.

How Does Stress Affect Your Oral Health?

Stress can have a variety of effects on your oral health, but the most common ones include the following:

• Grinding your teeth. Many people grind their teeth when they are stressed, which is often done subconsciously. This can cause damage to your smile, including chipping teeth and wearing down enamel.
• Dry mouth. When you are stressed, you may forget about getting your daily water intake. This can result in a dry mouth and decrease the amount of saliva in your mouth, which is needed for neutralizing acids produced by plaque bacteria and helping with digestion.
• Tooth decay and cavities. With less saliva production comes a higher chance of tooth decay and cavities since there is less of that protective liquid present.
• Bad breath. Without enough water in your body, you can end up with a foul case of bad breath that just won't go away, no matter how many mints you pop.

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, you should talk with your dentist about the possible causes so that you can work together to come up with a treatment plan to get you feeling your best.

Ways to Combat Stress

To combat the effects of stress on your oral health, try some of these things out:

• Drink more water. Water is the best thing for you to drink when you are stressed out, as it will not only keep you hydrated but will wash away acid from your teeth. Carry a water bottle with you throughout the day to ensure you are constantly filling yourself back up with water
• Take deep breaths to calm yourself down.
• Exercise regularly to relieve stress.
• Avoid smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol often.
• Get plenty of sleep each night.
• Practice relaxation techniques like meditation and yoga.

If you have recently been experiencing high levels of stress and have noticed changes to the health of your teeth, contact a dentist to schedule an appointment as soon as possible. A dentist will be able to determine the best treatment plan for you to relieve your symptoms and protect your oral health from further harm.

Get all your dental concerns addressed comprehensively by reaching out to Root Dental. Please get in touch with us at (772) 569-0123 or schedule an online consultation, and we'll be happy to guide you further.