Celina Dentist Explains What Stress Can Do To Your Teeth

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Stress can sneak up on you. You may find yourself staying up late at night with your mind racing, compiling to do lists you think will never end, and becoming more irritable with your family or co-workers. You may already know that stress can contribute to your weight, damage your immune system, and harm personal relationships. However, did you know that stress can also have negative effects on your teeth? Our Celina family dentist, Dr. Newton, will explain what stress has to do with your smile and how you can prevent dental health issues.

Teeth Grinding and Stress

Next time you are driving in traffic, do this self-test: feel your jaw muscles. Are you clenching your jaw? Are your teeth grinding together? If so, you may have a bigger problem than running late. Bruxism, or chronic teeth grinding, can have a huge impact on your oral health. One of the main contributors to this dental health issue is stress. Stress can cause you to clench your jaw muscles during times when you are focused on an activity like driving or typing. The constant clenching and grinding pressure erodes your tooth enamel and damages the integrity of your tooth structure. Bruxism can lead to increased cavities, tooth sensitivity, and a wide variety of dental and overall health problems.

Ulcers and Stress

Although the exact cause of canker sores is undetermined, stress is considered to increase your risk of ulcers. Since stress can weaken your immune system, your mouth is more vulnerable to bacteria, viruses, and other sources of mouth sores. These small white and red sores should heal in about one week. If you notice a prolonged ulcer or canker sore, contact your Celina family dentist immediately. Ulcers that do not heal in ten days may be a sign of oral cancer.

Family Dentist in Celina

At our Celina dental office, we offer comfortable dental care that can address teeth grinding and other oral health issues. To schedule a relaxing dental exam with our Dr. Newton, contact Celina Family Dentistry at (214) 851-0130. Located in Celina, we gladly serve patients in from Gunter, Prosper, Frisco, Pilot Point, Anna, and the surrounding areas.