Contents:
- Medical Video: Dry Mouth - Causes, Symptoms, Treatments & More…
- How can stress affect oral health?
- Oral health problems that can be triggered by stress
- 1. Apthous stomatitis
- 2. Bruxism or gnashing of teeth
- 3. Dry mouth
- Stress makes people pay less attention to oral health
Medical Video: Dry Mouth - Causes, Symptoms, Treatments & More…
Stress can be found in anyone and at any time. Physical health problems from stress have been known for a long time, but their impact on oral health has only been known in recent years.
How can stress affect oral health?
Stress is a biological reaction to physical, emotional, and mental disorders. Stress can affect the body's resistance to disease. The type of stress that can have an impact on oral health is long-term stress that has failed to be controlled.
Stress causes changes in the body in regulating several components of the mouth such as the production of saliva which acts as the oral defense system. Stress also increases the risk of lesions and infections in the walls of the mouth and gums. This was also found in a study that showed that stress can be the beginning of the development of disease, and trigger a decrease in awareness to maintain oral health.
Oral health problems that can be triggered by stress
Here are some health problems that can arise when someone is experiencing chronic stress:
1. Apthous stomatitis
Also known as the term canker afternoon or thrush, is a health problem that often arises when a person is experiencing stress but it is not known exactly what causes it.
A study shows that stress due to mental and physical stress can increase the risk of recurring canker sores. Mental pressure has a greater risk of triggering canker sores. If you experience this problem, avoid acidic and spicy foods and use ointment for canker sores.
2. Bruxism or gnashing of teeth
This is a disorder that is characterized by swiping and rubbing the upper teeth with the lower part, which is done without realizing it. This can appear as a sleep disorder that is more likely to be experienced when under stress, or as a habit that appears when anxious.
Bruxism triggers excessive tooth movement that is abnormal and damages the tooth enamel. If it occurs during sleep, this disorder can also cause headaches when awakened from sleep.
Not only tooth decay, the friction movement can cause discomfort due to damage to the joints that connect the lower jaw to the bone near the ear or temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ). To avoid further damage, this habit must be stopped and / or use protective gear, especially when sleeping at night.
3. Dry mouth
Dry mouth can occur when experiencing chronic stress due to mental stress. This condition can also occur due to disorders of the immune system caused by chronic diseases such as diabetes, and side effects of depression medication.
Chronic stress can interfere with the work of the central nervous system and interfere with the work of various glands, one of which is saliva. Saliva or salivary fluid is an important defense system for the oral cavity, so dry mouth conditions can lead to complications such as tooth and gum damage, mouth lesions, and mouth infections due to a decrease in the immune system. Stress control and minimizing dryness in the mouth are very necessary to overcome this problem.
Stress makes people pay less attention to oral health
Experiencing stress can change a person's behavior, especially for oral care by gargling or brushing teeth, to miss a dental check schedule. Other stress-triggered conditions such as dry mouth can accelerate tooth and gum damage. Especially if there is a change in diet with a little but high intake of vitamins and minerals, then tooth decay can occur very quickly.
That is why maintaining a healthy lifestyle still needs to be done. Avoid consuming excess sweet foods as a way to deal with stress, and choose healthier activities such as exercise to reduce stress.
