How Stress Impacts Oral Health - 7 Ways Stress Affects Your Teeth

Stress and oral health have a stronger link than was previously imagined. In today’s busy and dynamic world, stress is a common concern for most people. Everyone knows that stress/negatively affects mental health. Research has also shown that stress has a negative impact on our oral health. Long-term Stress can hurt not only physically or emotionally also it has a bad impact on teeth and 
mouth.

Stress may lead to the following oral health concerns:

• Poor habits

• Mouth sores

• Grinding/Clenching your teeth

• Nail Biting

• TMJ Disorder

• Gum Disease

• Missing a regular dental appointment

Poor habits - Smoking as a means of coping may increase during stressful times that may also negatively impact our immunity and increase the risk of gum disease and tooth decay.

Mouth sores - If you suffer from occasional attacks of painful mouth ulcers, these frequently develop due to Vitamin B deficiency and extreme levels of stress. canker sores or cold sores are oftentimes caused by emotional stress. Please speak to your dentist as he/she can provide medication.

Grinding/Clenching your teeth - If you grind your teeth, you probably do it while you sleep. It's a common oral health problem. It can cause headaches, a sore jaw, and damage to your teeth. Severe teeth grinding can cause loose teeth or even broken or lost teeth.  stress can cause worrying and repetitive thoughts, which can cause grinding during sleep. 

Nail Biting - Though many people bite their nails in stressful situations, this bad habit can have serious consequences such as:  

1. Germs transfer from your nail to your mouth which causes mouth infection.

2. Warts may spread from your hand to your mouth.

TMJ Disorder - TMJ stands for temporomandibular joints. These are the joints that you use to move your lower jaw. They are located just below your ear. Swelling or stiffness in these joints can cause a TMJ disorder. Symptoms can include pain, clicking, and popping. Stress is a major cause of TMJ problems. For instance, stress can cause you to clench your jaw and grind your teeth.

Gum Disease - Gum disease is an infection of your gums. It can cause loose teeth, bleeding gums, and bad breath. Stress can also contribute to gum disease if it causes you to grind your teeth, clench your jaw, or smoke cigarettes. If you have severe pain on your teeth or mouth then you need to get treated sooner.

Missing regular dental appointments - Visiting your dentist regularly (every six months), not only provides preventative care but also facilitates diagnosing and managing dental issues that may become worse over time.

How can you manage stress?

1. Find relaxing techniques or a self-care plan to help manage difficult times.
2. Keep up with oral hygiene home care.
3. Visit your dentist regularly for exams and cleanings.
4. Get plenty of rest.
5. Eat a healthy, balanced diet and drink plenty of water.

If you have any questions about how stress can be affecting your oral health, please contact Dr. Ali Elyassi and feel free to ask the question. Call us at (301)-982-4555 and visit Greenbelt Oral and Facial Surgery at Greenbelt MD 20770.

Tips for the New Denture Wearers

Periodontal disease, injury and tooth decay can all cause a loss of your natural permanent teeth. To restore your missing teeth or an injury of teeth Gentle Dental Dentures is the solution. Dentures are prosthetic devices constructed to replace missing teeth and are supported by the surrounding soft and hard tissues of the oral cavity. There are two types of Dentures 1. Complete dentures 2. Partial Dentures. 

For the New Denture Wearers there are some Tips and Tricks to take care of the dentures.:

1. Brush your dentures daily.

As Dentures are replaced for the missing tooth, We need to take care of the dentures properly as we take for our natural tooth. Dentures need to be brushed daily. Dentures can also get stained and develop bacteria. So first brush your teeth and denture also properly then rinse them with water to remove food particles. Dental experts say avoid bleaching agents otherwise it will damage the denture.

2. Soak dentures daily in a denture cleanser:

 After cleaning the denture with the brush, soak the denture into cleanser daily to remove plaque, bacteria. Denture cleanser will also help to kill the germs which develop bad breath. In a market different type of denture cleanser is available you can use that and can take care of denture.

3. Give Your Tissues Rest:

We always recommend sleeping without your dentures. This will give you plenty of time to soak them, and it will also give your gums a break and allow them to heal from any soreness or irritation.

4. Adjust Your Diet :

Once you fixed the new dentures, there is certain food that you need to avoid.  it is important to maintain proper nutrition as well, so be sure you are eating well-balanced meals and healthy snacks. Avoid sweet foods, sweet drinks, corns, hard nuts etc, to keep your denture clean and protected.

Book Your appointment with Dr. Ali Elyassi.

Visit our office at  7525 Greenway Center Drive, Suite 109, Greenbelt MD 20770