How Stress Affects Your Oral Health: The Mouth-Body Connection

The link between the mind and body and the mouth and the body is well documented. Even conditions like stress can have a huge impact on your oral health, along with your wider health. This is one reason that you should place a great deal of importance on keeping stress in check.

In this guide, we’re looking at some of the most common ways that stress can impact your oral health and offering recommendations on how you can limit the impact to protect your teeth.

The link between oral health and stress

It’s easy to assume that brushing your teeth twice a day is enough to keep your mouth healthy. We know that people suffering from depression often struggle to carry out this simple task. But there are other ways that your mental health could impact oral health, and one of the biggest risk factors is stress.

Stress and diet

First and foremost, stress is going to send you in search of high calorie foods, such as starchy or sugary foods. Stress eating is a well-documented condition, and if you are reaching for food in moments of stress, it’s likely that they won’t be the healthiest choices.

Poor dietary choices can increase your risk of tooth decay and gum disease. If this is your primary source of calories, you might also be risking vitamin deficiencies which could harm your oral health. And finally, snacking between meals is another risk factor to consider.

Stress and bruxism

Stress can also lead you to grind your teeth at night, and even during the day. This condition is known as bruxism. It can lead to cracks and chips in your teeth and premature wearing down of the enamel and the chewing surface.

Bruxism can also lead to a painful jaw which bothers you throughout the day. To help prevent bruxism, you can wear a mouthguard at night time that will protect your teeth from grinding against each other and absorb some of the impact of your bite.

Poor coping strategies

Stress can lead individuals to adopt coping strategies that will have a negative impact on their oral health. This could include a reliance on caffeine, cigarettes and alcohol. Smoking might help to ease stress momentarily, but it will have a long-term negative impact on oral health.

Likewise, stress can lead to poor sleep which can lead to excessive caffeine intake in the morning. This could lead to dental staining and tooth decay. And finally, alcohol is also bad for oral health, particularly if it leads to dehydration.

Dental problems and stress

It’s not just stress that can cause dental problems; patients might find that their dental issues become a significant source of stress. An example of this would be a patient with discoloured teeth or missing teeth.

This can become a huge source of social anxiety and stress, leading the individual to isolate and avoid social settings. This can trigger a range of mental health problems including depression, which can further aggravate oral health problems.

Final thoughts on stress and oral health

If you are struggling with stress, it’s important to take steps to bring this under control, while also ensuring that your oral health isn’t impacted. Regular visits to the dentist can help to alleviate your concerns around your oral health, so you can be confident there won’t be lasting negative impact from periods of high stress.