Everyone gets stressed sometimes, but did you know it affects your teeth? Long-term stress is especially harmful, but your smile can feel the impact of only a few days or weeks of high stress. Here’s how:
Stress Can Disrupt Your Oral Hygiene Routine
When you get busy and stressed, things like brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing can feel overwhelming. The same applies to routine cleanings and exams at the dentist. If you keep neglecting good oral hygiene, you increase your risk for cavities and gum disease! This may cost even more time later.
Stress Can Encourage Harmful Habits
There are lots of ways to deal with stress, but not all are great for your overall or dental health. Excessive drinking and smoking are two examples. Alcohol dries out your mouth and allows bacteria to build up on your teeth and gums. It also increases your risk of oral cancer. Smoking has similar risks. Heavy drinking and smoking also damage your immune system and make it harder to heal from tooth and gum infections.
Stress Can Make You Grind Your Teeth More
Jaw-clenching and teeth-grinding are common habits for stressed people. Most of the time, they don’t even know they’re doing it. Clenching puts pressure on your jaw while grinding your teeth weakens your enamel. You can develop TMD/TMJ disorder, which can cause headaches, muscle tension, and permanent bone damage. Most people can train themselves not to grind as much during the day, but at night, you can wear a nightguard to cushion your teeth.
Visit Riverstone Dental Care for High-Quality Dental Care in Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene, ID
Are you worried about the impact of stress on your teeth? At our practice, we offer a range of services that can help, including preventive care, restorative dentistry, emergency dentistry, and more. Please reach out to us today to schedule an appointment!
