Negative Effects of Stress on Your Oral Health

In our daily lives, we all experience stress and anxiety. Work, family, and hectic schedules can create a great deal of pressure.  Most people have heard about the impact this tension can have on your body, including insomnia, ulcers, and panic attacks. Did you know that stress also impacts your mouth? In fact, stress can contribute to a variety of issues like:

Bruxism/Grinding
Also known as clenching or grinding, bruxism is often an unconscious action that can happen while you sleep. Bruxism can lead to fractures, uneven tooth wear, and alignment issues. At his North Hollywood dental office, Dr. Tajik recommends treating for Bruxism with a special mouth guard that helps relax the jaw muscles and prevent the habitual grinding of teeth.

Canker sores
Though these small sores are harmless, canker sores can cause a good deal of pain. Stress can also activate dormant viral lesions such as herpes which lead to unsightly sores that can be painful and slow to heal. An effective method of treating these sores and reduce their occurrence is laser treatment with Diode lasers.  Low-intensity laser therapy can significantly lower the incidence of local recurrence of herpes simplex infection and even eliminate it. Dr. Tajik utilizes a Biolase Diode Epic X laser designed specifically for this purpose.

Dry mouth
If you don’t produce enough saliva, the condition is called dry mouth. Not only can stress contribute to dry mouth, but certain antidepressant can produce dry mouth as a side effect of the medication.

TMD
Your temporomandibular joints, or jaw joints, are the small, triangular joints that allow you to open and close your mouth. The TMJ are susceptible to stress, triggering painful symptoms such as neck pain, ringing in the ears, headaches, and dizziness.

Gum disease
Stress impacts our immune system by lowering our resistance to infection, which raises your chances of developing gum disease.

Finding ways to handle stress can help limit the negative affects on your mouth. Make sure to get plenty of rest and eat a balanced diet. Activities like exercise and relaxation techniques can also alleviate your anxiety. And most importantly, schedule regular check-ups with your dentist in order to minimize and help alleviate these oral issues.

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