Impact of Stress on Oral Health: Tips on Managing Stress and Gum Disease

It’s normal to experience stress occasionally, especially during certain situations like interviews and exams. However, stress can’t be defined as normal if you feel stressed most days of the week. Unfortunately, unhealthy stress can impact various aspects of your life, including oral health. In this article, let’s learn more about the mind-body connection in oral health to understand the effects of stress on oral health and tips on managing stress and maintaining a healthy mouth.

Impact of Stress on Oral Health

High levels of stress can have a significant impact on your oral health, leading to a variety of issues, like:

Teeth grinding:

While teeth grinding can be caused by a variety of issues, various studies have linked bruxism to high levels of stress and anxiety. Over time, untreated teeth grinding can lead to jaw pain, tooth damage, and headaches.

Poor oral hygiene:

When stressed, people tend to neglect their hygiene, including bathing, brushing, and flossing. This increases the risk of gum disease and decay.

Gum disease:

Unmanaged stress and anxiety can stimulate your body to release cortisol. This hormone triggers protein production in the gums, leading to inflammation that can lead to gum disease or periodontitis. Unmanaged stress can weaken your immune system, making it harder for your body to fight harmful oral bacteria and infections. This makes you vulnerable to gum disease, tooth decay, and other infections. If you have untreated gum disease, visit our office for non-surgical gum disease therapy in Claremont, NH.

Dry mouth:

Intense stress and anxiety can affect your salivary glands, causing reduced saliva production and flow. This leads to a dry mouth, which increases your risk of gum disease, decay, oral thrush, bad breath, and other problems.

Cold sores:

Intense stress can trigger cold sores. Cold sores can occur as lesions on the corners of the mouth, lips, and sometimes on the gums.

Canker sores:

Canker sores are ulcers that occur in the mouth. They are often triggered by vigorous brushing, eating highly acidic foods, smoking, stress, and biting the inside of your cheeks.

How to Manage Stress for Optimal Health

Seeking medical treatment for unhealthy stress and anxiety can help reduce oral problems like gum disease and promote optimal oral and overall well-being. Below are several stress management techniques to keep in mind:

Exercise:

Regular physical activities like cardio, weight-lifting, and other types of excises help reduce stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, reducing stress. Similarly, exercises can stimulate the production of endorphins, the body’s natural mood elevators and painkillers, which reduce stress and promotes oral and overall well-being.

Meditation:

Controlled mindfulness can give you peace, calmness, and balance, reducing stress and anxiety. It also promotes relaxation and overall well-being.

Avoid trigger factors:

Avoiding or limiting actions or situations that cause stress and anxiety can help you feel calm and relaxed, promoting overall well-being. In addition, avoid habits such as drinking alcohol and taking drugs, as they can aggravate your symptoms.

Deep breathing:

Focusing on your breath and practicing deep breathing during stressful situations can help calm your mind and reduce stress.

Proper diet:

Hunger and nutrient deficiency can put you in a bad mood and stimulate stress hormones. Eating healthy foods rich in fruits, lean protein, whole grains, and vegetables can help you feel happy, relaxed, and energized, reducing stress and promoting overall well-being.

Talk to a friend or professional:

Talking to a friend, doctor, or therapist about your feelings or a problematic situation can help improve your mood and reduce stress. Also, you can consider positive self-talk to reduce stress.

Self-Care Practices for Oral Health

In addition to managing stress, use the tips below to prevent gum disease and promote oral and overall well-being:

• Brush at least twice daily for about two minutes each time. This helps reduce bacterial deposits like plaque and tartar in the mouth, lowering your risk of oral infections like gum disease and decay.
• Floss daily at least once daily. Flossing helps remove tartar and plaque deep between teeth, reducing your risk of decay and gum disease.
• Eat a proper diet rich in essential nutrients like calcium, phosphorous, vitamins, and healthy fats that promote healthy teeth and gums.
• Proper hydration. Drinking enough water throughout the day helps wash away bacteria and debris and prevent a dry mouth, which reduces your risk of oral infections like gum disease.
• Regular dental checkups. Visiting your dentist at least twice yearly can help clean your mouth and detect and address potential oral problems early on.
• Limit or avoid alcohol, sugar, and smoking.

Learn More about Stress and Gum Disease

Are you experiencing stress, gum disease, or other oral problems? Contact or book a dentist appointment at Claremont Dental Group for professional consultation and treatment.