Stress Can Be Hard on Your Teeth

Most people are feeling some level of stress or anxiety right now, especially with the coming of Covid-19. It’s common knowledge that stress can be bad for your health, but did you know it puts your teeth at risk too?

People experiencing stress in their lives often clench, gnash or grind their teeth. Surprisingly, they do it even more when they are sleeping and the subconscious mind is not paying attention. Tooth grinding is also called bruxism by doctors and dentists and can cause a lot of damage in your mouth. Signs that you might be grinding include:

• Jaw pain or tenderness
• Morning headaches
• Tender or painful teeth, sometimes in multiple areas of your mouth
• Short worn looking teeth
• Broken teeth, fractures or other damage from excess wear and tear
• Lack of restful sleep

It is important that you let us know if you are experiencing these symptoms. We will want to protect your teeth and may recommend a nightguard appliance for that purpose.

It will also be important for you to find ways to relieve your stress to protect your teeth, overall health, relationships and quality of life. There are many resources online and here are a few ideas to help get you started.

• Practice relaxation techniques daily. Yoga, meditation, progressive relaxation, deep breathing or even just taking time to listen to calming music can help. There are also several apps for this like Calm or Insight Timer.
• Create a relaxing routine before bed time to ensure restful sleep. It might include a warm shower or bath, turning off your electronics, journaling or reading something meaningful before you go to sleep.
• Don’t sweat the small stuff and take one thing at a time.
• Shift any repetitive thoughts that feed your stress by just saying “not now” and moving on to something more positive.

If you find that you are unable to control your stress, we suggest talking to your doctor to see what they might recommend. Your teeth, health and quality of life may depend on it.

To learn if you are a candidate for a nightguard appliance give us a call. We promise to take great care of you.

KN Dentistry – Orange CA – (714) 633-2562