Stress often occurs when we are working too hard, taking on too many social plans and not allowing for sufficient reset, this can then lead us to become burnouts, irritated and stressed and can affect us both physically and mentally. Unwanted stress can trigger a number of health conditions, but did you know that it can also have a huge effect on your oral health?

Here Sundeep Patel, Cosmetic Dentist and Clinical Lead for Waldron Dental reveals how stress is affecting your oral health.

Oral health is compromised

Often, when we become stressed or burnt out, we find that our oral hygiene is put to the back of the pile in terms of self care and our health. You may find that it is hard to dedicate sufficient time in the morning and evening to your oral hygiene routine, if at all. You should be brushing your teeth for roughly 2 minutes morning and night, followed by flossing and mouthwash if you feel the need. When we lead super busy and stressful lives, this often becomes reduced considerably and over time this can compromise your oral health and could cause dental issues down the line such as cavities, ulcers and gum complications. If you end up skipping brushing your teeth altogether the plaque will build up and this will increase your chances of needing emergency dental work.

You may develop Bruxism

Increased levels of stress can lead to Bruxism, bruxism is the term to describe grinding or clenching your teeth during the day, or more commonly, during the night. Stress can often trigger this, as we are in a constant state of anxiety, fear and worry and this can cause us to grind or clench our teeth much more often. Night time grinding is particularly worrisome as you won’t know you're doing it and so cannot control the damage to your teeth. Some of the symptoms of Bruxism are tooth sensitivity, a lack of enamel on the tooth, soreness in the jaw and tight jaw muscles or loose/chipped teeth. Habits such as alcohol consumption, smoking and too much caffeine as well as of course stress may increase your chances of developing Bruxism. You may want to speak to your dentist about using a mouth guard in the evening which can help with any unwanted tooth damage from grinding.

Susceptible to gum disease

Stress is known to affect your immune system which we need to be healthy to fight against bad bacteria that can cause periodontal disease, making a person more likely to develop an oral infection or gum disease. You are at a greater risk of developing gum disease if you suffer with stress, emotional or mental issues as well as financial stress. If your job is causing you to suffer with stress and anxiety then you are at a higher risk of developing issues with your gums so it's best to pinpoint the issue and manage your stress so you don’t run this risk.

Dry mouth and chapped lips

Stress can often lead to dry mouth, dry mouth causes a lack of saliva in your mouth, and saliva is super important as it is needed to wash away any food and drink particles in the mouth to keep your tongue, teeth and gums clean and free from debris. Dry mouth can often lead to bad breath and could cause dental complications down the line. If you are stressed, you may find that you are drinking increased dehydrating drinks such as coffee and less amounts of water, which is needed to keep your mouth hydrated. Not just this, the lips can also suffer from stress as many people may chew or bite their lips, leading to dry cracked or thin lips. Not only this, the lips may also suffer from stress as many people bite or chew their lips leading them to become dry, cracked or thin. Not staying hydrated throughout the day, or not using lip care products such as lip balm and salve could increase likelihood of dry, chapped lips.

Poor diet
Those who suffer with stress will most likely have a poor diet and be undernourished. This is because they feel too stressed or preoccupied to cook from scratch, so are eating processed foods which are quick and easy, such as ready meals, microwaveable meals and snacks. However, a properly cooked meal using various meats and veggies is imperative for a well balanced diet, and a bad diet can eventually lead to problems with the teeth, especially if the person is eating sugary snacks more often. Foods and drinks with a large amount of sugar can of course increase the likelihood of tooth troubles such as cavities and gum disease.