Deal With Stress Without Damaging Your Teeth | Dentist, Wichita, KS

One of the most common physical responses to stress is teeth grinding. The anxiety you are experiencing may cause you to subconsciously clench your jaw and grind your teeth while sleeping. Not only does teeth grinding damage the teeth and cause jaw pain, but more severe cases can lead to loose or broken teeth. Prolonged tooth grinding can also lead to Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMD), categorized as problems with the jaw and facial muscles. If you are not able to manage your teeth grinding habit naturally, your dentist in Wichita may recommend a night guard to be worn while sleeping and advise you to keep your teeth from touching when you are not eating or chewing.

Experts have advised that high levels of stress likely raise your chances of developing canker sores, small, shallow open wounds in the mouth that cause discomfort when eating or talking. Our team at Cambridge Family Dentistry recommends avoiding spicy foods to ease irritation and steering clear of highly acidic foods like citrus and tomatoes. For instant relief, you can also try over-the-counter numbing medicines that can be applied directly to the sore until it softens. If you are feeling upset or stressed, you will notice that this may trigger an outbreak of sores. Most will heal on their own within a week, but if you continue to experience prolonged pain, it’s best to contact your dentist in Wichita as soon as possible for an evaluation!

For many people experiencing periods of high stress, it’s not uncommon to naturally find comfort in food. When indulging in your favorite foods, it’s still important to remember that starchy snacks such as chips and crackers can lead to added plaque buildup, while sweets, alcohol, and sugary drinks produce acids that attack the enamel and breed bacteria. While eating these foods in moderation is expected, constant exposure to too many unhealthy foods and beverages can eventually cause harm to your teeth. Remember to limit your consumption of these types of food to save yourself the pain of remedying their effects later on!