Combatting Stress: Unveiling its Hidden Impacts on Oral Health & Wellness

Ways to Deal with Stress and Oral Health Issues

It’s important to remember that COVID-19 will end, but your oral function doesn’t have to break down in the process. Brushing, flossing, rinsing, and maintaining a healthy diet is the first line of defense in keeping all your body systems running in peak condition.

Here are some simple things you can do at home to prevent future dental concerns caused by stress:

• Maintain a healthy diet: Control your consumption of sugary, citrus, or sticky foods and liquids. We understand that many of our patients will turn to comfort foods in the days to come. However, carbonated beverages, coffees, potato chips, hard candies, and other common substances can have a very negative impact on your teeth. Moderation is the best approach to avoid plaque buildup and tooth staining caused by these items.
• Practice Good Oral Hygiene: While your daily schedule might be off the rails at the moment, you must maintain your best oral hygiene routine. This includes: brushing and flossing your teeth at least twice a day. Good daily oral hygiene goes a long way in preventing long-term issues that can require costly restorative care. The more you do now, the less you will need to do later to maintain your beautiful smile.
• Workout Regularly: Exercise is a safe and efficient remedy for anxiety. It reduces stress and oral health issues, increases physical and emotional health, and improves the overall quality of life by releasing endorphins. Physical exercise and releasing endorphins in the brain serve to calm muscles and reduce pain in the body. Since the body and mind are so inextricably intertwined, as the body feels stronger, so will the mind.
• Practicing Yoga: Yoga can assist in reducing stress and oral health improvement since it facilitates relaxing and is the natural antidote to stress. Yoga will help three facets of our lives that are often harmed by stress: body, mind, and breathing. You shouldn’t have to wait until you’re stressing out to do yoga! People who do a little yoga every day also feel more prepared to deal with life’s ups and downs. Yoga practice improves the capacity to relax, concentrate, and maintain a balance in life.
• Practice Mindfulness: Jaw clenching and grinding are both normal reactions to stress and oral health issues. They can cause symptoms like headaches, earaches, and jaw pain–all of which you don’t want to add to your current stress level. We encourage you to practice mindfulness during this highly stressful situation. Leave yourself reminders around your home to unclench your jaw and relax your facial muscles. You can also practice the jaw exercises at home to reduce the tension in your jaw muscles.

As we all wait for this time of social distance, stress and oral health issues to end, we hope you are all safe and healthy. Dr. Adatrow, and the entire Advanced Dental Team, stand ready to serve the needs of our patients once we reach the other side of this crisis. With the fast roll-out of vaccines, we are hoping for this crisis to end soon. Blessing you and your family, and we look forward to seeing you all soon.