What Dental Complications Untreated Stress Can Lead To
You know yourself well… what are some nervous habits you catch yourself doing when you’re extremely overwhelmed and stressed? Are you biting your nails, picking at your cuticles, or peeling off your nail polish? How about aggressively scratching your arm, head, hand, or other part of your body? Maybe even bouncing or shaking your leg so fast that you’re inadvertently moving the table you’re sitting at.
If you’re saying “yeah, I do that” to any of those acts, you’re not alone! These are very common nervous habits people do in attempt to deescalate their stress and anxiety levels; therefore, don’t feel an ounce of bashfulness admitting to these things.
There are a few acts people are doing that medical officials are noticing now that times are trying: teeth grinding, gum disease, dry mouth, canker sores, and tooth decay. Many of these cases are unfortunately starting because of untreated and heightened stress levels – often leading to major anxiety. Some of these outcomes seem understandable, but tooth decay seems a bit… exaggerated. Well, not in the grand scheme of things. When one is stressed, their lifestyle often takes a tumble; meaning, their diet also takes a turn for the worse. Now, instead of making a healthy, fresh, home-made dinner, they’re relying on processed, easy-to-make, oven dinners or stopping for a quick bite at a fast-food chain. (Not that there is anything wrong with this choice, but let’s face it, the health altercations show this isn’t the wisest choice.) This is where the tooth decay comes to action. Tooth decay (or cavities) is when the tooth’s outer surface begins to break down as a result of bacterial build up. This build-up comes from frequent snacking, eating, and/or drinking high sugar foods or beverages; then, not properly nor thoroughly cleaning your teeth and mouth. Let’s circle back around: when stress levels begin to rise and healthy life choices begin to fall, health issues become adherent. So, eating and drinking poorly, mixed with not taking proper care of your body, lead to health complications like tooth decay.
Teeth Grinding
Diving deeper into oral health conditions that can be caused from stress include a big, rather well-known habit: teeth grinding. Clenching or grinding can cause great damage to the teeth and/or enamel leading to soreness of the jaw and often times headaches. More times than less, people grind their teeth at night during slumber causing much worse problems like cracked or chipped teeth. It is recommended to always follow medical advice, purchasing a mouth guard to sleep with, and following proper oral care to ensure your teeth are strong and healthy.
Gum Disease
High stress levels weaken the immune system (hint: high stress often times means not so healthy lifestyle choices). With a lower immune system, the chances of gaining some form of a gum disease, as well as a mouth disease, raises substantially. Signs of this can be, but not limited to, off-colored gums, sensitive gums, bleeding gums and/or receding gum lines.
Canker Sores
Those annoying white little bubbles that build on the soft tissue of the mouth can be painful and such a burden. However, they are harmless! Canker sores are simply small lesions that form on the mouth tissue that typically go away on their own after roughly a week. There is no set cause or reason for these, but according to Mayo Clinic, “a diet lacking vitamin B-12, zinc, folic acid or iron, mixed with emotional stress, often cause canker sores to come to the surface.”
Dry Mouth
Well, this sounds… awful. Dry mouth is an effect of people experiencing high stress, as well as taking medicines used to help with stress and depression. Being that the mouth is typically filled with saliva, that makes it the first line of defense against bacteria. So, without saliva, there is an increase of tooth decay, gum disease, and infections. Shall we even mention that horrible feeling constantly in one’s mouth, too?
How can you help your mouth from suffering from stress habits? It’s simple, proper oral care routines. Primal Life Organics has the ultimate, natural routine that cleanses and helps protect the whole mouth both morning and night. Their Dental Detox Kit contains two Dirty Mouth Toothpowders, Dirty Mouth Gum Serum, a copper tongue scraper, charcoal floss picks, a bamboo toothbrush, and a deodorant to give your body a full detoxifying experience. By following the recommended directions provided in the kit, you can experience a dental hygienist cleaning right at home! The earthly clays used to create the toothpowder help impoverished teeth regain their strength and natural whiteness again. A combination of eleven essential oils makeup the gum serum to aid in protecting one’s gums to ensure their overall health. Using these with the other provided tools will naturally clean your teeth in a way you probably didn’t think was attainable at home.
Take your oral health to a new level with the Real White Teeth Whitening System. Containing blue and red LED lights, your teeth can become whiter, and your gums can become healthier. Simply apply the gel aid to dry teeth, set the device to the desired mode, and do your regular daily activities for the next sixteen minutes. The device is completely cordless, so it makes the whitening process a convenient, easy breeze. Also, the gel is bleach and peroxide-free, as well as completely natural – teeth whitening sensitivity is not an outcome with this system!
There are plenty of natural, holistic ways to relieve stress so you can avoid suffering from brutal habits. Before turning to medicines and unnatural remedies, try some, but not limited to, a few of the following:
Exercise
Even something simple like walking qualifies as exercise! Releasing endorphins into your body when moving reduces anxiety and stress, bringing happiness and a smile to your face.
Sleep
Always ensure to gain the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep per night. This is your body’s only time to repair itself, as well as giving your mind time to “turn off.” Need some help gaining a rejuvenating slumber? Primal Life’s Sleep. Naturally Supplement promotes the REM sleep cycle which is the most renewing stage of the body’s sleep. It is made with certified organic ingredients so the body is not being “tricked” into an unnatural sleep; therefore, the body can actually appreciate the help this supplement can give for one’s sleep routine.
Reduce the intake of caffeine
Yes, this is so tough, especially on a Monday morning. Limiting yourself to maybe one or two cups of black coffee helps ensure the anxiety and jitter levels remain low. So don’t worry, no one is saying to completely take it out of the morning routine, only to limit it to help with your mental health.
Spend time doing the things you love, or with people you love
Unfortunately, this can be misconstrued. When you spend time with people you love, it is vital to make sure they have your best interest at heart. It never helps to surround yourself by people who bring negativity to your life, especially if you are suffering from anxiety and stress from other factors. Spend time with people who are good for you, and also spend time doing activities that make you happy.
Say no
This is one of the hardest things for some people to do. Of course, you want to be there for people, especially your loved ones, but saying no is extremely important. Remember you are only one person, so do not overload yourself at work nor outside of work. Your mental health will thank you.
Remember, those are not the only remedies to follow when you are experiencing stress. There are many others, and you should choose what works best for you. Keep in mind the nervous habits you may have when you’re feeling overwhelmed and remember to take care of yourself accordingly. Dentists are beginning to see a rise of oral health cases in overly stressed patients. Primal Life is here to allow you to rely on our dental care line so you can ensure your oral health is in tip-top shape.
Resources:
https://www.yourdentalhealth.ca/prevention/stress-and-oral-health/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/16-ways-relieve-stress-anxiety#9.-Learn-to-say-no