How stress can sabo
Leading dentist EDDIE COYLE looks at the most common ways that anxiety can affect your teeth – and what you can do about it
wE ALL know that feeling stressed and overloaded can have a significant impact on our mental wellbeing and physical health. Yet did you know that excessive stress can also damage your teeth? Here are the six key signs that you could be under too much pressure: A lot of patients who come through my doors have a condition called bruxism – more commonly known as teeth grinding. This is where a patient, consciously or unconsciously, grinds their teeth and excessively clenches their jaw.
It’s often a side effect of stress and anxiety. Often, bruxism is something patients are totally unaware of as it tends to happen during sleep. While it may not always cause obvious pain, if it happens regularly over a prolonged period of time, it can cause enamel to wear down, leading to increased sensitivity, ongoing headaches and in extreme cases even tooth loss.
If you think you might be grinding your teeth in your sleep, visit your dentist. If necessary, they will be able to prescribe you with a mouth guard to protect against future damage. Your dentist will be able to spot key indicators of teeth grinding, so even if you have no symptoms, make sure you get your regular check-ups booked just in case. Anxiety and stress can hinder the production of saliva which in turn leads to dry mouth, which can cause difficulty in swallowing, a constant sore throat, trouble speaking and a parched tongue or lips.
Medications can also have the side effect of a dry mouth, making the situation more complicated.
Luckily plenty can be done to ease these symptoms. Brushing with a fluoride toothpaste twice a day is essential, as well as flossing once a day.
Chewing a sugar-free gum will encourage your glands to produce saliva and you should take regular sips of water to keep your mouth moist. If dry mouth persists, your dentist can conduct tests to find out the causes and if necessary, prescribe a salivary stimulant. As if suffering from dry mouth wasn’t bad enough, the reduction in saliva can also lead to bad breath.
This is because gases caused by bacteria in your mouth are usually washed away by your saliva and swallowed but if your mouth is dry, those gases remain.
Research has also shown that stomach acids can build up at times of stress which can lead to acid reflux – another cause of bad breath. Usually, strict oral hygiene is enough to prevent and treat bad breath. Make sure you brush twice a day, cleaning not only your teeth but your gums and tongue too.
If the problem continues, see your dentist to see whether the bad breath is related to an underlying health condition. Stress has a damaging effect on the immune system which fights against the bacteria that causes periodontal disease, causing those under a great deal of stress to be more susceptible to gum disease.
In some cases, a deep clean under the gums, called root planing, may be needed to help reduce the bacterial load in the mouth.
Antiseptic mouthwashes containing chlorhexidine and hexetidine can also help.