Is Your Stress Level Affecting Your Oral Health?

Fairfax, VA dentist Dr. Cerina Fairfax wants you to enjoy the benefits of a healthy smile. But we are learning that having a healthy smile may have as much to do with your stress levels as it does with your oral health care routine.

Stress and Your Oral Health

It is well documented that stress not only takes an emotional toll but also aggravates just about any physical problem you have. Stress has been known to worsen or increase the risk of conditions like heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and asthma.

You can now add dental problems to that list as studies have found that your stress levels can also impact on your oral health. A study published in the journal Contemporary Clinical Dentistry shows a clear relationship between a stressful life event and dental issues. Stress affects your oral health because it affects your immune system, and it’s a short trip between immune disorders and dental disease.

In some cases, dentists have linked dental disease back to high levels of stress in some of their patients. When the patient’s stressors are removed, the disease goes away – in some cases without any treatment at all.

Minimize Your Stress

It’s impossible to eliminate all stress from your life, but now you have another good reason to learn how to reduce and manage it. But please don’t make the mistake of thinking that you probably have dental problems just because you are stressed out.

Dental Cleanings in Fairfax

You still need to protect your oral health with routine professional cleanings and exams so we can ensure that your mouth stays healthy. However, you should let us know if you are experiencing any abnormally high stress so we can monitor your oral health for any signs of changes. Please call your Fairfax dentist to arrange an appointment for your next routine cleaning!