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Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners
Can stress negatively affect my oral health?
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Dr Arnold Baume
Dentist
If you are experiencing large amounts of stress, it is extremely important that you maintain good oral health habits. Brush at least twice a day, floss daily, and keep regularly scheduled appointments with your dentists Your dentist can perform deep cleanings to remove built-up plaque, and can monitor your teeth and gums for any other signs of stress-induced issues.
Stress can cause unexplained ulcers in the mouth . Stress can be also a factor in tooth grinding or bruxism .Report this post
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Dr Roland Chong
Dentist
Stress can impact your oral health indirectly.
The level of stress you experience can affect your mood. This in turn can lead to you junking on comfort foods which can, over long periods, lead to dental decay of the teeth.
Prolonged periods of stress may in some cases lead to depression which in some cases lead to poor personal hygiene. The lack of tooth brushing will contribute to more plaque on your teeth and affect your gums and of course lead to a higher chance of tooth decay.
Stress can also increase the tendency in some individuals to clench and grind their teeth together during the day and at night. This will lead to teeth chipping and wearing down. In extreme cases teeth have been known to fracture.
Please consult your family dentist and inform them if you are under more stress than usual. They will be able to take this into account when they see you for your routine examinations and make suggestions to protect your teeth from damage resulting from the stressful events.Report this post
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Dr Kevin Jaffar
Dentist
Jaffar Dental - Trusted and Established since 1997. We are a family owned General Dental Practice offering a friendly and caring environment in Waterford QLD. … View Profile
Stress often causes people to grind and clench their teeth often during sleep. This causes excessive tooth wear and damages the cartlidge disc in the jaw joint in front of the ear.
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Dr Jeremy Rourke
Dentist
Stress can cause you to grind your teeth and this can damage the teeth through wear. It can also damage and pain in your jaw joint and cause spasm in your jaw muscles and cause headaches
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Dr Daniel James
Dentist
Yes, stress can have negative impacts on your oral health.
Probably the most direct impact would be through bruxing - which is when you clench or grind your teeth subconsciously, often while asleep. Over time, this can wear down the surfaces of your teeth and change your bite.
There is also some evidence to suggest stress is a risk factor for periodontal (gum) disease. Stress would not likely cause gum disease on its own, but if you had other risk factors, such as being a smoker, having diabetes, or poor oral hygiene, it could make the problem worse.
Often when stressed we get into bad habits, such as eating junk food or not brushing your teeth as well or often as you should. This can obviously have negative effects for your oral health.
Mouth ulcers may be the result of stress in some people.
Dealing with the source of stress, while not easy, is the only real way to minimise the impact of these negative effects. That said, your dentist should be able to advise you if you are showing any signs of stress related problems and offer some solutions.
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