How To Protect Your Teeth From The Effects Stress
Are you struggling with stress? If you are, it could be impacting your teeth….
The world is a little stressful right now and here at Abbey Road Dental, we know that this kind of constant feeling of anxiousness and worry can have dramatic consequences for your teeth.
We want to help you to avoid those consequences so that you can keep your gums and teeth in great condition. That way, you don’t have toothache or dental damage to add to your list of things to be stressed about. Plus, you’re perfectly ready to crack open a big smile when you finally get a moment to breathe, and enjoy a moment of zen.
Let’s take a closer look at stress, the impact on your teeth and gums, and how to avoid or treat those issues:
Why Do We Get Stressed?
Stress is something that we get, as humans, as a response to all kinds of different factors. It can be an emotional issue relating to circumstance. It can be physical stress from illness, or exhaustion. It can be a mixture of all kinds of factors that cause us to feel a range of symptoms including:
- Aches and pains
- Issues with private lives
- Headaches
- Sleeping too much, or too little
- Feeling like your heart is beating quickly
- Feeling tense
- Being irritable
- Eating too much, not much or eating ‘comfort food’
- Avoiding social situations
- Feeling a bit tearful
These symptoms are common with stress, which as humans we are made to deal with on a short term basis. When it comes to long term stress, we may end up with more chronic or dramatic symptoms, with raised blood pressure, mouth sores and a lowered immune system – otherwise known as feeling run down.
The Impact Of Chronic Stress On The Whole Body
The impact of chronic stress on the whole body is vast, impacting many bodily systems in a negative way to some degree. At its worst it can increase your risk of cancer, heart attacks and other very serious issues. This is because the body and mind are being worked really hard, all the time and we, as humans, are just not made to deal with that long-term.
The impact of long-term stress on the mind is also well documented. Without any resolution or control, it can lead to a wide range of issues such as depression and anxiety, as well as cognitive issues like problems with memory or learning.
The Impact Of Stress On Your Teeth & Gums
Stress is linked to lots of aspects of oral health, and here at Abbey Road Dental we know all too well that stressful life events can show themselves in the teeth and gums. Certain signs within the mouth during a routine NW8 oral examination may lead us to ask patients if they have experienced more stress recently, because the link between certain issues and stress is so strong.
Here are some of the most common consequences of stress when it comes to dental health:
- Tooth decay
- Gum disease
- Bruxism
- Jaw disorders
- Failure to maintain good oral health
- Failure to maintain regular checkups with Abbey Road Dental
The effects of stress on the teeth and gums is far reaching. Sometimes the impact comes from leaning on bad habits like unhealthy eating, smoking or drinking too much. Sometimes it comes from things we do subconsciously, like grinding the teeth or chewing the nails, impacting the teeth, jaw and gums almost without control.
The good news is that these issues can be prevented, and treated by our St John’s Wood dentists, and with your own efforts to control both your stress and the symptoms it causes.
How To Prevent The Impact Of Stress On Your Teeth & Gums
The most important thing you can do to stop your teeth and gums feeling the impact of stress, is to prevent chronic stress in the first place. It sounds simple, but it is one of the best things you can do for your overall health and your smile.
Some easy ways to manage your stress are:
- Limiting the amount of time you spend on social media
- Spending time in nature
- Getting lots of exercise
- Trying yoga, or meditation
- Practising mindfulness
- Balancing work and personal life well
- Taking time out for yourself
- Speaking to a therapist or your doctor if things feel like they are getting to be too much
- Getting a good night’s sleep
Even with the above efforts, stress can still show itself in different ways, especially with the challenges we face as a global community these days. If you are stressed, or you know that you have symptoms that suggest you are stressed, we can help in a few different ways:
Regular Checkups
By attending regular checkups we can keep an eye on the health of your teeth and gums. Any problems can be quickly identified and treated appropriately.
Protection For Your Teeth, Gums & Jaw
We can create bespoke mouthguards to help protect your teeth, gums and jaw from grinding and clenching when you sleep. This can go a long way to protecting your oral health from the more subconscious impacts of stress.
Regular Hygienist Appointments
Our NW8 hygienists are experts when it comes to gum disease. With regular support and cleaning from the hygienist team, gum disease caused by stress can be reversed, or well managed.
Extra Support
If we know that you are struggling with stress and your teeth are at risk we can provide more regular checkups, protective devices, cleaning support and more. The most important thing is that we know what medication you are taking, and what your health status is – including issues with chronic stress. We are not here to judge, we are here to support you with your oral health and hygiene, especially when you might have some level of vulnerability with it, like when you have excess stress.
Struggling With Chronic Stress? Speak To Abbey Road Dental
If you think that chronic stress is impacting your teeth and gums, please speak to our team about it at your next checkup. Alternatively, make an appointment with us at our local St John’s Wood clinic and we can discuss your worries and what to do next. We’re here to help, and with our experienced team, expertise, top-of-the-range treatments and family-friendly approach you can know that by coming to us your oral health is at least one less thing to feel stressed about.
