Stressed Out: Can Stress Affect Your Teeth?
You have too much to do at work. You have to juggle a million tasks between your children, your spouse, and errands — not to mention your mother-in-law is in town for the weekend. We all have those days, and those days can add immense stress to your life. That stress affects more than just your emotional health; it physically alters you as well. Your mouth already experiences daily wear and tear that you need to prevent as much as possible. If you are too stressed, this adds another layer of factors fighting against the health of your mouth. It starts before you even realize — you are stressed out thinking about everything you need to do, and then you notice you’ve been clenching your teeth for the past few minutes. Depending on how you handle stress, you may be doing this multiple times per day, which takes a toll on your mouth. Signs of Stress Impacting Your Oral Health 1. Poor At Home Oral Hygiene When we are stressed self-care may become less important. We can start over indulging in comfort foods high in carbs, sugar, and caffeine. A poor diet and ignoring our regular oral hygiene routine can lead to plaque buildup, caries, and even tooth loss. 2. Dry Mouth Saliva keeps teeth moist, helps fight bacteria, and helps removes food particles from your teeth. But when you are trying to manage increased stress, your saliva production can be reduced. This can result in increased plaque buildup and a higher likelihood of dental problems. 3. Clenched Jaws The constant muscle tension in your jaw that can result from chronic stress can cause TMD or temporomandibular disorder. This condition causes pain in your temporomandibular joint (TMJ), your jaws, and around your ears. You may also experience difficulty opening your mouth or chewing food or even hear a clicking noise. If left untreated, bruxism can also destroy dental restorations (fillings, crowns, bridges, etc.) that you’ve had done, creating more pain and costing more money. 4. Teeth Grinding Teeth grinding or bruxism is a common symptom of stress or anxiety. This is often an unconscious action so many people are unaware of their teeth grinding, especially if they are grinding their teeth while they sleep. Grinding teeth results in significant wear and tear on your teeth. This can lead to damage to the enamel, chipped teeth, loose teeth, increased sensitivity, and pain in your temples. 5. Decreased Immune Response Stress often has a detrimental effect on your immune system. A reduced immune response makes it harder to fight off infections, and high levels of cortisol ( a hormone related to stress) lead to protein production in the gums causing inflammation and increasing the likelihood of developing gum diseases like gingivitis and periodontitis. 6. Cold Sore Blisters Cold sores are caused by the herpes simplex virus. Many people can go for months without dealing with a cold sore however increased stress is a common trigger. Cold sores typically appear on the lips or corners of the mouth, in some instances they can also appear on your gums leading to difficulty brushing and flossing. How to Prevent Teeth Grinding and Clenching Since one of the main causes of teeth grinding and clenching is stress, the best way to stop is to reduce your stress. Hold on — put down that glass of chardonnay or moonshine you have after work to unwind (alcohol increases the likelihood of teeth grinding while sleeping). Here are some stress-management techniques that will help reduce your overall stress. Exercise. Not only does this release endorphins to help combat stress, but at the end of the day, you’ll be too tired to have stress-inducing thoughts. Autogenic relaxation. This method involves “commanding” your body to relax. This takes a lot of practice but can be very effective once learned. Learn more about autogenic relaxation here. Visualization. Trying to use all five of your senses, imagine a scenario that is relaxing. For example, if you imagine yourself in a forest, listen to the sway of the branches, feel the warm light creeping between the trees, and note the scent of pine needles. Listen to your favorite music. Classical is always a reliable genre to relax to, but listen to the type of music that helps you unwind. These techniques will only work if you allow them to. When using them, ensure you have an open mind and allow yourself to relax. Everyone is different, and it will take time to find what relaxes you, as well as mastering the technique itself. The benefits of stress-management strategies will not only help your teeth-grinding issue but also provide benefits for many other health issues you may be experiencing. Other Stress Reducing Tips to Consider If you notice throughout the day that you are still clenching, stick the tip of your tongue between your teeth. This will force you to relax your jaw muscles. According to the TMJ Association, take anti-inflammatory medicine (such as ibuprofen) to help with swelling and pain until you can get your teeth grinding and TMJ/TMD under control. Check with your physician to see if you are able to take anti-inflammatory medicines. Place a warm washcloth on your jaw before you go to bed to help relax your muscles. If you try these stress-relieving techniques and are still experiencing pain related to clenching and grinding, your Palmdale, CA dentist can do an examination to determine the best course of action. In most cases, your dentist can create a mouth guard/splint to prevent clenching and grinding. Additional Dental Services May Include: Managing pain with a special diet Stretching exercises Anti-inflammatory medications For more information about stress and your dental health, request an appointment at AV Sierra Dental Center by calling 661.202.3542 today. Reference: Stress management. (n.d.). Retrieved July 12, 2016, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/relaxation-technique/art-20045368 Teeth Grinding (Bruxism): Causes and Treatments. (n.d.). Retrieved July 12, 2016, from https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/teeth-grinding-bruxism TMJ Association, Ltd. (n.d.). Retrieved July 13, 2016, from https://www.tmj.org/site/page?pageId=257
Protect Your Teeth
Sports build camaraderie. They’re fun, adding some excitement to an otherwise mundane week, and they’re always a great source for exercise. But of course, all good things have to have some kind of drawback, right? If you thought this, you’d be correct. And with sports, you have to balance your fun with the risk of injury—and that includes mouth injuries. As the NBA Finals start up, you don’t have to think too far back for a dramatic example. During the playoffs, Boston Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas was going for the ball when an opposing player hit him in the mouth with his elbow. He was not wearing a mouthguard, so needless to say, Isaiah lost his front tooth and needed hours of oral surgery to repair the damage. We can’t say for certain what would have happened if Isaiah were wearing a mouthguard, in many cases, basic safety precautions can prevent, or lessen the impact, of incidents like this one. The American Dental Association reports that athletes are 60 times more likely to suffer mouth injury when not wearing a mouthguard. That’s a lot of trips to the dentist saved by wearing a mouthguard! So if you want to enjoy sports and make sure you don’t end up with a missing or chipped tooth, here’s some advice. If you play in a contact sport, or if there is any chance for a body part or object to hit your mouth, wear a mouthguard. There are three types of mouthguards: Stock, boil and bite, and custom fitted. Stock Mouthguard The cheapest of the mouthguards, these offer some protection, but not as much as the others. Since they’re “one size fits all,” these mouthguards can often be uncomfortable. Boil and Bite Mouthguard Similar to stock mouthguards, you can buy these at sporting goods stores or places like Walmart. To get a better fit, you boil these mouthguards to soften the plastic. When the temperature of the mouthguard is safe, you place it in your mouth and bite down, allowing the mouthguard to shape to your mouth. A better-formed mouthguard provides more protection and makes for a comfortable fit as well. Custom Mouthguard Your dentist can create a mold of your teeth to create a mouthguard made specifically for your mouth. These mouthguards provide the best protection, and are the most comfortable; many people will forget they are even wearing them. Athletic Mouthguard: Sports Dentistry An athletic mouthguard helps protect your teeth, jaw, and supporting gum tissue from injury while participating in collision and/or contact sports. Participation in sports has steadily increased. Several sources estimate that between 20 to 25 million kids participate in sports annually. Competition among players and teams has intensified in recent years which has contributed to an increase in the number of sport related injuries that impact your face and smile. National Youth sports Foundation for Safety reports show dental injuries are the most common type of injury sustained while participating in their chosen sport. According to the American Dental Association, approximately 10-20% of all sport related injuries are maxillofacial (injury of the face, jaw, and/or teeth). An athlete is 60 times more likely to sustain damage to their teeth when they’re not wearing a protective mouthguard while on the field of play (Source: Nationwide Children’s Hospital). In an effort to help get the word out and increase the awareness about the importance of wearing mouthguards, April has been designated as National Face Protection Month. National Face Protection Awareness Month Every year in April, just prior to the start of many sport seasons begin, five oral health organizations rally together and advocate for team coaches and organizations to strongly recommend that athletes to wear an athletic mouthguard while participating in collision and/or contact sports. These organizations include: Academy for Sports Dentistry American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry American Association of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons American Association of Orthodontics American Dental Association The above five health organizations collaborated to publish a news press release in April 2016 titled Double Down on Mouthguards in recognition of National Face Protection Month. It’s a good, quick read highlighting many of the risks associated with preventable injuries. These organizations track and report sport injuries and have found the sports listed below have the highest incidence of dental trauma: An Athletic Mouthguard Helps Prevent Traumatic Dental Injuries The National Youth Sports Foundation for Safety estimates the cost of reimplanting a tooth, including follow-up dental treatment, is roughly $5000.00, or the equivalent of fabricating 83 custom-fitted athletic mouthguards from your dentist. This doesn’t even account for the pain and embarrassment you or your child may suffer from broken teeth. The following list includes the most commonly reported sport-related traumatic dental injuries. Tooth fracture Avulsion (Tooth knocked out) Tooth displacement (Tooth pushed back or forward) Injury to TMJ (Tempromandibular Joint) Injury to soft tissues Protects dental brackets and wires Protects your teeth, lips, cheeks, jaw, and supporting gum tissue from direct and indirect impact Helps prevent head concussions Keep in mind that all of those injuries can be avoided by choosing to wear an athletic mouthguard. So why don’t people wear a mouthguard to protect their teeth? Common Athletic Mouthguard Objections Many of the most common objections to wearing a mouthguard can be resolved with a custom-fitted mouthguard from your dentist. Uncomfortable Fit is loose and not retentive Difficult to talk Impairs understanding of speech with a mouthguard in place Cumbersome Bulky Inconvenient Smelly Tastes bad Falls out accidentally while on the field of play Afraid to wear accidentally wear a teammate’s mouthguard The bottom line is this: if you don’t wear your mouthguard, then it’s not protecting your teeth. There are multiple reasons why people don’t wear their mouthguards. A lot of store-bought mouthguards make it hard to breathe, talk, and drink, or just aren’t comfortable. In many cases, coaches (and parents) don’t enforce the wearing of mouthguards. If you’re going to play sports, and you want to protect your teeth, you need to wear a mouthguard. While a custom mouthguard may cost more money, their wearability means people are
