Contents
Herpes, bruxism or cavities: oral diseases that appear with stress
Body and mind
On many occasions, stress is expressed through actions such as clenching the jaw or grinding the teeth
If stress has always been a problem, since the health crisis began due to the coranavirus, its diagnosis is increasingly common. According to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), anxiety and stress affect almost 15% of the adult population and 30% of sick leave in Spain are caused by it. Furthermore, it is a problem that the World Health Organization (WHO) has already described as a “global epidemic”. If stress lasts for a while it can cause, not only problems in our mental health, but also indiseases related to oral healthl such as cold sores, bruxism, periodontal diseases (gingivitis or periodontitis) or even cavities.
Oral health experts at Sanitas warn that when people are under emotional stress, they tend to abandon healthy habits and eat more sugary foods, smoke, increase alcohol intake and put off brushing and flossing. Furthermore, according to a Sanitas study on oral health during confinement, the state of alarm caused the worsening of oral pathologies in more than 13% of the population. All this ends up promoting the growth of bacteria that, accompanied by a decrease in defenses, generates an inflammation of the gums that can lead to gingivitis or periodontitis. In this sense, the accumulation of food in the recesses of the oral cavity also favors the appearance of cavities.
Many times, stress is expressed through actions such as clenching the jaw or grinding your teeth, which is known as bruxism. This pathology results in wear of the tooth surface, as well as pain in the temporomandibular joint area or in the temple. On the other hand, the decrease in defenses caused by stress generates a greater vulnerability to viruses. This can cause the appearance of canker sores or the well-known cold sore.
What to do to avoid tooth damage?
Faced with this situation, experts recommend influencing the care of the mouth. Thus, they highlight the importance of going regularly to the dentist not only in order to improve the aesthetics of the smile, but also to prevent and detect small problems that can degenerate into much more serious diseases afterwards. Likewise, they advise paying attention to bad habits that arise with stress. In addition to those already mentioned, actions such as biting the nails or a pen can be very harmful and even generate microfractures in the teeth that affect their structure. Therefore, they recommend be forewarned and learn to channel emotions in a different way. As for the diet, it must be balanced, contain the least amount of sugars possible and be based on foods rich in fiber, as well as incorporate certain nuts and dairy products. This must be accompanied by rigorous oral hygiene, with brushing after every meal and the use of dental floss and irrigator.