Stress affects your mouth too

In short: stress doesn’t stay in your head: it shows in the mouth too. You clench your teeth without realising (bruxism), you get ulcers at exam time, the gums get worse and, on top of that, when you’re busy you look after hygiene less. Knowing that link helps you do something about it.

How stress shows in the mouth

• Bruxism: clenching or grinding the teeth (especially at night). It’s one of the most typical ways stress “discharges” in the mouth, and it wears and fractures.
• Ulcers: those little sores that appear right in stressful spells.
• Worse gums: stress lowers defences and the gums get inflamed more easily.
• Neglect: when you’re rushed off your feet, hygiene and diet suffer.

The vicious circle

Stress makes you clench your teeth; clenching overloads the jaw and causes jaw or headaches; and the pain, in turn, causes more stress. Breaking that circle somewhere (the jaw, the stress, or both) is exactly what helps.

What helps?

• Manage stress where you can: rest, exercise, whatever works for you.
• A night guard if you clench: it protects the teeth and relaxes the muscles while you sleep.
• Keep up hygiene even when you’re flat out: it’s 4 minutes a day that prevent bigger problems.
• Don’t bite your nails or chew a pen/gum all day: they’re release valves that overload the jaw.

When should I go to the dentist?

If you notice a tired jaw, a headache when you wake up, worn teeth or ulcers that keep appearing. It’s not about the stress itself, but what it does to your mouth, which can be treated.

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Do you clench your teeth or does your mouth suffer in stressful times? Come in and we’ll assess it; often a night guard and some advice change a lot. The first visit is free: book an appointment.