A multitude of issues arise on the crest of stress, including mood changes, anxiety, loss of appetite, acne and other skin problems, and depression. Believe it or not, the same changes in your brain chemicals that cause these problems can also greatly upset your oral health, from your teeth to your gums and tongue. One of the worst of them is bruxism, or teeth grinding.
What is Stress Exactly?
In recent years, doctors and scientists have tried to get a grip on all of the elements that make our body respond to stress. Stress is loosely defined at our brain’s reaction any external demand. Therefore, stress can be positive, like planning a major event, or negative like dealing with a death in the family. Stress can also be real or perceived, recurring or prolonged.
On a microscopic level, the body deals with stress by pumping hormones and chemicals into the brain and body. In animals, this activates the fight or flight reflex. This also turns off certain bodily functions such as immune system, ability to digest food, and reproductive organs to push that energy toward the crisis. This is a normal response. However, the world we live in has fairly regular demands on our time and energy, and can lead to prolonged or chronic stress. This is often when stress becomes a health threat.
How Stress Grinds Our Teeth
Stress has the capacity to greatly hurt your teeth and the jaws their connected with. Bruxism is especially detrimental because of its capacity to destroy teeth structure while also misaligning and triggering pain in the jaw joints. The tension of bruxism can chip away tooth enamel and leave your teeth vulnerable to bacteria and the plaque they create. Additionally, grinding your teeth smooths out the ridges and dips in the chewing surfaces of your teeth, making them less effective at breaking down food for digestion. Even though bruxism is most common during the sleeping hours, it can also be an issue during the day.
There are several ways to know if you’re suffering from bruxism. The most obvious is if you feel yourself doing so when you’re angry or anxious. Another pretty obvious one is if your partner complains about the sound of grinding you make with your teeth while you sleep. Other symptoms may include fractured or smooth teeth caps, increased tooth sensitivity, jaw or face pain or tight muscles, headaches, or damaged oral tissue on cheeks or tongue.
It’s advised to talk to a dentist as soon as you’re aware of your bruxism so that it can be treated. If it continues to happen, you have an increased risk of tooth decay and its associated diseases and problems. Temporomandibular Disorder, or TMJ is another concern for chronic bruxism. TMJ often locks or pops the jaw, causing difficulty eating or speaking, as well as facial pain and swelling and headaches.
De-stressing Guide
Stress is inevitable in the modern world. That is why for the sake of our teeth and bodily health we should do all that we can to prevent prolonged stress and its associated harm. Living a healthy lifestyle and avoiding certain things can help with this.
DO:
- Eat healthy, regular meals and snacks to maintain chemical and nutritional balance
- Keep immune systems strong with foods high in vitamin C and supplements.
- Properly clean your mouth by brushing, flossing, and swishing mouthwash daily.
- Drink plenty of water to keep immune system strong and body healthy.
- Release tension in the body with exercise, relaxation and breathing techniques, or yoga. Hobbies work too.
DON’T:
- Turn to alcohol or smoking as a coping mechanism.
- Ignore symptoms of bruxism. See a dentist is you suspect you have the habit.
- Binge on junk or comfort food that can damage teeth.
- Withdraw from or lash out at friends or family.
- Over sleep, especially if you’re prone to night bruxism. This may also be another form of procrastination or hiding from stress.
We Can’t Stress it Enough
Taking care of your body, and especially your teeth, is important to a happy and healthy lifestyle. Stress, good or bad, can interrupt that and vastly change the conditions needed to enjoy life. By using the above guide, you’re sure to be able to notice the signs of bruxism or stress and get the help you need to overcome them.
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