Have you been a little stressed out lately? If so, you might want to find a good way to de-stress quickly for the sake of your teeth and your wallet. Dentistry professionals from across the country have found stress can lead to significant problems in their patient's oral health. In fact, these problems are causing patients to pay far more for dental care than they should, ultimately leading to more stress!
The Direct Effects Of Stress On Your Oral Health
If you think stress is only mental, think again! Your dentist can almost tell how intense your life has been just by looking at the tops of your teeth. If you have been clenching them or grinding them together, the tops will look worn and even chipped. In some cases, patients have clenched their teeth together so hard that they have cracked and broken them.
This constant, intense pressure can also lead to bone problems. Dentistry professionals have found that the jawbones of patients with high stress levels degrade at a much faster rate. The temporomandibular joint (the joint responsible for TMJ) is also affected. This can lead to muscle and joint pain, clicking, and even lock jaw. In fact, dentist and oral care professionals say that some middle-aged adults have teeth and jaws that resemble that of an 80 year old.
Additional Side Effects of Stress on Oral Health
Stress decreases the efficiency of your body's immune system. When your gums begin to develop gingivitis or you have a tooth that starts to decay, your body doesn't have the same number of healthy antibodies to fight it off. This leads the damage to progress more rapidly and results in more involved and more costly treatments.
When the dentist pulls a tooth, installs an implant, root canal, or other treatment, you mouth suffers a wound. When you are stressed, your body has difficulty healing. The damaged area can take longer to heal, leaving it open and susceptible to infection and complications. Dentistry professionals find that treatments such as implants might not fuse to the bone correctly is the body's natural healing system isn't functioning properly.
Of course, there are a large number of other side effects. Difficulty breathing, dry mouth, swallowing difficulties, an increase in or picking up the habit of smoking, fatigue, depression, speech problems, and many, many more side-effects are all possible as a result of stress.
Saving Your Dental Health and Your Money
One of the best things you can do for your dental health, your overall health, and your pocketbook, is to reduce the level of stress in your life. Exercise is highly effective at bringing comfort and relaxation into your life. It works on a mental level by getting you away from everything even if it is only for five or ten minutes. It also physically keeps your body relaxed by releasing the hormones needed to fight it. Your body flushes out toxins naturally keeping you healthier in general. Reading, music, movies, sports, and any other activity you enjoy will work as well. The important thing is to reduce your stress as quickly as possible and keep it down.
Also, it is extremely important to schedule regular checkups with your dentist. Though many people are aware of this, they still don't take the time to visit their dentist for preventative care. But the possible consequence of avoiding preventative dentistry can be painful to both your body and your bank account.
Stress takes a terrible toll on your health, your life, and your teeth leading to higher medical and dentistry bills. No matter how tough things get, take time for yourself and do what you need to in order to keep your stress levels down. Make it a point to live a healthy lifestyle, and visit your dentist on a regular basis to enjoy a great looking smile for life.
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