I love that my family dentist is tech-savvy. It's so easy to book a dentist on his smartphone app if I have a tooth problem or if anyone in my family needs emergency problems (I can choose either my normal dentist or another dentist in his practise depending on availability). He also has some great cameras so that we can see exactly what is going on during treatment. I prefer not to see this, but my kids love to be able to see the dentist using his specialised tools to clean and repair their teeth. This blog has some tips on finding a tech-savvy dentist to help give your family the best possible dental care.
Stress is never something that you really want to be dealing with, and it can have a negative effect on nearly every part of your life. Unfortunately, people often fail to appreciate just how strong an effect prolonged periods of stress can have on their teeth.
Here are just four ways feeling stressed can take its toll on your oral health.
1. Bruxism
Bruxism refers to the habit of grinding your teeth against each other and clenching your jaw. These might seem like innocuous activities, but constant grinding can gradually wear away your tooth enamel. In some cases, the shape of the tooth is changed, though most of the time you will not notice any signs of damage save an increase in sensitivity. Unfortunately, once you wear away that enamel, it's gone. Clenching is also bad for your teeth since it overloads the jaw muscle and can serve to push the teeth out of alignment. Most troubling of all, bruxism often occurs at night while you sleep, so you might not even realise that you're doing it.
2. Temporomandibular Disorders
Temporomandibular disorders, commonly shortened to TMD, refers to issues which impact the muscles in your jaw and your neck. With an increase in stress, you can begin to strain these muscles. However, the temporomandibular joint is most at risk. Because of the pronounced clenching mentioned above, the temporomandibular joint, which connects your jaw to your skull, can be placed under more pressure than it is designed to taken. Eventually, this can create pronounced problems, including a clicking in the jaw and a popping when you move it up and down.
3. Canker Sores
Canker sores, sometimes referred to simply as mouth ulcers, are rarely the cause of serious oral health issues. However, they can be extremely painful to deal with, and you'll have to wait some time for them to heal by themselves. Several factors can increase your likelihood of developing mouth ulcers, and research has suggested that people who are stressed do seem to form canker sores.
4. Periodontal Disease
Periodontal disease, commonly referred to simply as gum disease, can cause serious oral health issues. In fact, it is a serious oral health issue all by itself. As gum disease develops, infection can spread throughout your mouth, ultimately putting your teeth in danger and necessitating the need for extensive work. Unfortunately, studies have shown that psychosocial measures of stress are associated with severe periodontal disease risk in in certain adults.
Talk with your dentist if you are worried about the effects of stress on your oral health.
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