How does stress affect oral health?

Stress is a very common problem today, and although not all types of stress are negative, the truth is that states of nervous agitation or emotional tension are quite common in today's society, and in some cases they become stress. chronic.

Situations such as overwork or loss of work, a divorce, the death of a loved one, financial problems or illness, to name just a few examples, can easily lead to stress.

When this happens, we are aware of how it affects our emotional state or the ability to rest and get enough sleep at night. But we don't always pay enough attention to how stress affects our oral health.

In addition, the first symptoms are difficult to detect, since they usually occur while we sleep: grinding and clenching the teeth (bruxism). And since the effects of stress in our mouth are progressive, when we realize the problem may already be in an advanced stage.

How does stress affect our mouth?

Any stressful situation has negative consequences for our oral health, but the worst scenario is chronic stress. When we are stressed we accentuate certain negative habits, such as smoking, drinking alcohol, or eating more sweets and fats. This is already a problem for our mouth.

Furthermore, according to a study published in the Journal of Periodontology, stress affects our ability to brush and floss our teeth effectively.

Another study, published in the Journal of Biological Regulators & Homeostatic Agents points out that there is a relationship between stress and periodontal diseases, since when we are stressed our defenses decrease, which can cause an increase in the inflammation of the gums.

The latter means that stress not only affects the habits that influence our oral health, but also has a direct detrimental effect.

The 4 main problems caused by stress in dental health

1. Periodontal diseases: gingivitis and periodontitis. The fact that our eating and hygiene habits worsen can cause an increase in bacterial plaque and a decrease in defenses. In addition, the stress-related hormone cortisol can also cause inflammation and increase the risk of periodontal disease.
2. Bruxism and temporomandibular joint dysfunction. Stress can cause us to clench and grind our teeth, known as bruxism, and can cause pain in the muscles responsible for chewing, as well as tooth wear. The same pressure can cause temporomandibular joint dysfunction or temple pain.
3. Cavities. If we eat worse - more sugar and fat - and neglect our oral hygiene, more harmful food scraps in the oral cavities, with which we favor the appearance of caries.
4. Oral irritations, such as canker sores or cold sores. The decrease in defenses caused by stress makes us more vulnerable to bacteria and viruses, which can cause the appearance of thrush, which are like whitish wounds on the gums or mucous membranes, or the well-known cold sore.

Recommendations to avoid or reduce stress

The first thing we recommend is go to a specialist to find out the origin of the problem and be able to treat it. But if it is a specific stress, such as that which can be generated by times such as Christmas, exam periods or a specific adverse situation, these recommendations can help you cope better:

• Practice relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga, or diaphragmatic breathing.
• Carefully organize your time with an agenda and prioritize tasks. The feeling of having things under control will help you not to stress.
• Take vitamin boosters in the form of fruit or supplements.
• Do some physical exercise, such as going for a walk or a run.
• Extreme your dental hygiene, even if you don't think you need it at first. Get a dental cleaning and a review, to detect possible problems in time.