Stress management and your smile

Did you know that stress-management is closely related to the health of your teeth and gums? Staving off stress with positive behaviors is beneficial for your teeth! People who are overstressed and anxious may:

• Clench their jaw or grind their teeth: this can lead to headaches or tooth damage and may damage crowns and fillings.
• Choose unhealthy foods: people are known to binge on unhealthy foods when stressed. The carbohydrates in sugary foods like donuts, candies, and sodas may come with a sudden rush of endorphins, but they also feed bacteria in the mouth.
• Oral habits: biting nails, chewing on pens, smoking cigarettes, or other anxious oral habits may become more apparent with stress.

In order to keep your mouth healthy, moderate stress through healthy eating, physical activity, time outdoors, prayer and meditation, or other forms of activity you enjoy. Protect yourself from stress to protect your teeth and gums!