The crucial links between stress and your dental health that you should never ignore
Many people don’t realise how much good oral health and good overall health go hand in hand. Sometimes what’s going on inside your body shows up as a dental health issue while in other instances poor oral health leads to someone becoming unwell.
As medical professionals, we understand that nothing to do with the human body happens in isolation; everything is connected and so any problem or discomfort left untreated will inevitably lead to other, likely more significant, issues.
We’ve written about the connection between dental health and overall wellbeing previously, for example in What your tooth discolouration tells us about your health, How diet and nutrition impact on children’s dental health, and Understanding the importance of oral health for women, which you might like to read.
The hidden ways stress is sabotaging your health
We all know stress isn’t great for us. It keeps us up at night and disrupts the sleep we do get, it tenses our shoulders, sometimes leading to headaches, and impacts our digestive systems.
Without getting too scientific, stress triggers physiological responses that, when chronic, can severely damage your body. When you’re stressed, your body releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which increase your heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels.
Over time, chronic stress keeps your cardiovascular system in overdrive, causing inflammation in blood vessels, promoting plaque buildup in arteries, and significantly increasing your risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Beyond the heart, chronic stress weakens your immune system, making you more susceptible to infections and potentially even cancer. Stress also affects your brain, contributing to anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline.
In short, prolonged, unmanaged stress is a genuine threat to your longevity and quality of life.
Stress and your dental health
Your mouth is essentially a stress detector. Stress could be quietly affecting your teeth, gums, and mouth tissue, which we might be able to pick up during your next dental appointment.
Whether it’s grinding your teeth and clenching your jaw, a dry mouth, or gum disease as a result of increased bacteria, there are several ways we might detect signs of chronic stress during a routine visit to Middleborough Dental Care.
Your gums might tell us that your immune system is taking a hit
Chronic stress suppresses your immune system, and your mouth is one of the first places that shows up. When you’re stressed, your body produces more cortisol, which hampers your immune response and creates the perfect environment for bacteria to thrive.
This can manifest as recurring canker sores, cold sores or, more seriously, gum disease. Stressed individuals are more likely to develop gingivitis and periodontitis, conditions where bacteria inflame and infect the gums, potentially leading to tooth loss if left untreated.
The connection is so strong that some researchers consider gum disease a potential indicator of chronic stress levels.
If you’re grinding your teeth, that could be a sign of stress
When stress levels spike, many people unconsciously grind their teeth, particularly while they sleep. You might wake up with a sore jaw, a headache, or even tooth sensitivity without realising that you’ve been grinding all night.
Over time, this causes more than just some daily discomfort; it wears down your tooth enamel, which doesn’t regenerate once it’s gone. Wearing down the hard protective layer that is your tooth enamel leads to increased sensitivity, a higher risk of cavities, and even cracked or fractured teeth. Some people grind so intensely that they need crowns or other dental work to repair the damage.
Most people don’t even know they’re suffering from bruxism (the medical term for teeth grinding and jaw clenching) until a dentist points out the telltale flat spots on their molars.
TMJ disorder is a significant stress issue
Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) affects the joints connecting your jaw to your skull, and stress is a major trigger. The jaw clenching that accompanies stress puts enormous pressure on these joints—up to 250 pounds of force per square inch in some cases.
This can result in chronic jaw pain, difficulty chewing, clicking or popping sounds when you open your mouth, and even ear pain or ringing. Some people develop such severe TMJ issues that they struggle to eat normally or open their mouths fully.
Unfortunately, TMJ pain itself becomes a source of stress, creating a vicious cycle that’s hard to break.
If your mouth is constantly dry, stress may be to blame
Stress triggers your fight-or-flight response, which redirects your body’s resources away from “non-essential” functions like saliva production. Many stressed people also breathe through their mouths more or take medications that cause dry mouth as a side effect.
Saliva isn’t just there to keep your mouth comfortable; it’s your first line of defence against decay. It neutralises acids, washes away food particles, and contains enzymes that fight bacteria. Without adequate saliva, your risk of cavities skyrockets, and existing dental problems accelerate.
People dealing with chronic stress often notice their mouth feels dry or sticky, or that they’re suddenly getting more cavities despite maintaining the same oral hygiene routine.
Stress eating can contribute to tooth decay
It’s an unavoidable fact that stress eating doesn’t lead us to reach for the carrot sticks! Craving “comforting” food in an attempt to ease stress almost always involves sugary snacks, acidic sodas, and other foods high in refined carbohydrates. The unfortunate side effect is that these foods feed the bacteria in your mouth that produce tooth-decaying acid.
Beyond the food choices themselves, stressed people often eat at irregular times, skip meals and then binge, or snack throughout the day without brushing. Each time you eat, your mouth enters an acidic state for about 20 minutes. Constant snacking means your teeth are under near-continuous acid attack with no recovery time.
Add stress-induced neglect of oral hygiene (too tired to floss, falling asleep without brushing), and you’ve created a perfect storm for dental problems.
Recognising an issue is the first step to treating it
The team at Middleborough Dental Care can help you not only diagnose that you might have a stress-induced health issue but also point you in the right direction toward managing or treating the underlying problem.
We also recognise that stressed people are inclined to postpone “optional” appointments, such as six-monthly dental check-ups. But keep in mind that catching problems early saves you pain, money, and more stress down the line.
Meanwhile, even at times when everything feels overwhelming, maintaining your oral care regimen of brushing and flossing twice a day will help you avoid far bigger problems.
There are remedies, treatments, and tips that can help
If you know you’re stressed, particularly at work, pay attention to your jaw tension. Your teeth should only touch when you’re chewing. If you catch yourself clenching, consciously relax your jaw and let your tongue rest on the roof of your mouth.
If you notice your mouth tends to be dry, stay hydrated and chew sugar-free gum to help stimulate saliva production.
If you grind your teeth, a custom-fitted night guard can protect your enamel while you work on the underlying stress.
Above all, we recommend that you address the stress itself. Exercise, meditation, therapy, adequate sleep – whatever works for you. Your teeth will thank you, along with the rest of your body.
We’re always here to help
Although your teeth might be sending you stress signals, most people aren’t taught to read them. All the more reason to come see us regularly and always tell us if you’ve had any discomfort or other oral health issues.
That unexplained tooth sensitivity, the jaw soreness, or the sudden cavity despite good oral hygiene might not be random. They could be your body’s way of saying you need to address what’s happening beneath the surface.
At Middleborough Dental Care, we take a holistic, whole-person approach to oral health — identifying not only the dental symptoms but also the lifestyle factors that influence them.
We look forward to seeing you soon and continuing our important role in promoting and maintaining your health.