Stress and Your Oral Health

You may be aware of the physical and emotional symptoms of stress such as headaches, stomachaches, and anxiety. But did you know that stress can also affect your oral or mouth health?¹ It’s important to pinpoint the causes of your stress and know your body's early warning signs. It’s also smart to take steps to reduce your stress.

Oral Conditions Caused by Stress

Stress can affect your oral health in a number of ways:

• Jaw issues, or disorders of the jaw joint or chewing muscles. These can cause pain around the ear or face.
• Teeth grinding, or bruxism. This can happen during the day, especially when you're concentrating, or at night.
• Poor oral hygiene, caused by a lack of good brushing and flossing. If you're too busy or forget to keep up with your dental hygiene, you can wind up with tooth decay and gum disease.
• Canker sores, which can be triggered by vitamin B deficiency and any type of mouth injury or irritation. Several studies now show that stress is another big trigger for canker sores.¹
• Oral infections or sores, which may show up as ulcers, white lines, or white or red spots. These can be brought on by stress.

Talk to your health care provider about your symptoms.

Reduce Your Symptoms

It's important to get to the root of the problem and figure out why you're stressed. Once you've pinpointed the causes, think about how to lower your stress levels. In the meantime, follow these steps to get relief for painful oral symptoms:

• Talk to your dentist about treatment options.
• Address teeth grinding by asking your dentist about getting a custom-fitted night guard. It can be worn at night to prevent tooth damage caused from grinding and clenching. The night guard also creates a cushion to remove stress on your aching muscles and joint tissues.
• Avoid hard or crunchy foods when you’re in pain.
• Don't cope with tobacco and alcohol. These products can make your oral symptoms worse.
• Manage pain through gentle massage, physical therapy or pain relief medications.
• Ask about prescription medications. Anti-inflammatory drugs can help inflammation of the jaw joint. Antiviral drugs may prevent cold sores.
• Avoid the sun or use a sunscreen with at least an SPF of 30 to help reduce cold sores.