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Stress and Our Smiles

Live Life Smiling

oral-health-stress
  • Holmes and Palmer Orthodontics
  • February 3, 2022

 

MENTAL HEALTH AND physical health are tied together in ways we don’t always expect. That even extends to the relationship between oral health and stress. Fortunately, there are a lot of tools we can use to protect our smiles from the effects of stress.

Stress Could Be Behind a Teeth-Grinding Habit

Habitual teeth-grinding and jaw-clenching are called bruxism. Clenching and grinding are natural responses to frustration and stress for many people. The typical signs of bruxism include a sore jaw and, eventually, flattened chewing surfaces of the teeth. Bruxism brings with it significant oral health risks, and the people with this habit might not even notice they’re doing it — particularly for those who grind their teeth in their sleep.

Stress Can Compound the Symptoms of TMD

Another oral health condition stress can contribute to is temporomandibular joint disorder (TMD), a disorder of the muscles, joint, and nerves in the jaw that is associated with chronic facial pain. Stress is believed to be one of the factors leading to TMD, which has symptoms like frequent headaches, pain in the jaw joint, and popping and clicking of the jaw.

Stress Weakens the Immune System

A brief period of stress is something the body can deal with pretty well, but chronic stress puts a major strain on the immune system, making it harder to fight off oral health issues like infections, canker sores, dry mouth, gum disease, and cavities.

Make Oral Health and Hygiene a Priority

Considering all the negative effects stress can have, good oral hygiene habits become particularly important. That includes brushing for two minutes twice a day using a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste, flossing once a day, and cutting back on sugar intake. Giving your teeth and gums better tools to fight off oral health problems might not be a solution to the stress in your life, but it can help you feel a little better and more in control.

The Dentist Is Your Best Ally

Dental health experts such as our team want to help our patients stress less when it comes to their oral health. We know that just the idea of going to the dentist can be stressful for a lot of people, but we’re here to help. We encourage you to keep up with your regular dental checkups and keep a prevention mindset when it comes to oral health issues rather than waiting until an issue gets much worse to finally get treatment.

We want to help our patients smile easier AND healthier!

Top image used under CC0 Public Domain license. Image cropped and modified from original.
The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

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Patient reviews

EVERY SMILE TELLS A SPECIAL STORY

We are thankful for the opportunity to serve our community with excellent care and take pride in our mission of having a patient-centered philosophy. Check out what our patients are saying about us!

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Amanda S.
Holmes & Palmer Orthodontics is amazing! My daughter, Natalie, loved the staff there...always friendly and helpful.
Amanda S.
Holmes & Palmer Orthodontics is amazing! My daughter, Natalie, loved the staff there...always friendly and helpful.
Amanda S.
Holmes and Palmer Orthodontics has such an amazing staff! My daughter, Natalie had a great experience there and we 100% recommend!
Amanda S.
Fantastic experience for my daughter, Natalie! She never dreaded going for checkup appointments on her braces because the staff was so amazingly kind and helpful. Would 100% recommend!
Amanda S.
Fantastic experience for my daughter, Natalie! She never dreaded going for checkup appointments on her braces because the staff was so amazingly kind and helpful. Would 100% recommend!
Autumn C.
My sons had appointments to get braces put on and mouthpiece to help with overbite issues. The staff was phenomenal when it came to helping and comforting my child with autism and they were super friendly at making my youngest fill comfortable every time we’ve visited them. Highly recommend them!!
Autumn C.
My sons had appointments to get braces put on and mouthpiece to help with overbite issues. The staff was phenomenal when it came to helping and comforting my child with autism and they were super friendly at making my youngest fill comfortable every time we’ve visited them. Highly recommend them!!
Kristin S.
They have been wonderful so far with my daughter the staff is amazing and very friendly and informative
jonathan C.
Super friendly and was always willing to answer any questions we had on our journey with braces. They took time to answer any questions we had.
jonathan C.
Super friendly and was always willing to answer any questions we had on our journey with braces. They took time to answer any questions we had.
Christina S.
Very family friendly atmosphere! Fun office! Love how laid back and kind everyone is! 10/10 recommend!
Christina S.
Very family friendly atmosphere! Fun office! Love how laid back and kind everyone is! 10/10 recommend!
Sheri S.
I got my 1st set of Invisalign at Holmes & Palmer, Huntington office this week. The assistant talked me through the whole process and helped me practice getting them out. Putting them in is not an issue. They are tight. Getting them out the first several times was difficult. The pull tool they gave me didn't have a thin enough point to put under the edge of mine to pop them up. I hope they will give future patients a Pul Bite Me original pultool+chewtool. It has a narrow point that works perfectly. If you don't have long fingernails or don't want to break your nails, it's what you need. Sorry for the sales pitch but I honestly don't think I could get them out on my own without it. I don't have to go back for an appointment until mid October unless I'm having an issue. It's nice not to have to go for tightenings frequently, like my son had to with traditional braces. I called back with a couple of follow up questions and the lady who answered the phone was very helpful. She said she'd worn Invisaligns, also.
Sheri S.
I got my 1st set of Invisalign at Holmes & Palmer, Huntington office this week. The assistant talked me through the whole process and helped me practice getting them out. Putting them in is not an issue. They are tight. Getting them out the first several times was difficult. The pull tool they gave me didn't have a thin enough point to put under the edge of mine to pop them up. I hope they will give future patients a Pul Bite Me original pultool+chewtool. It has a narrow point that works perfectly. If you don't have long fingernails or don't want to break your nails, it's what you need. Sorry for the sales pitch but I honestly don't think I could get them out on my own without it. I don't have to go back for an appointment until mid October unless I'm having an issue. It's nice not to have to go for tightenings frequently, like my son had to with traditional braces. I called back with a couple of follow up questions and the lady who answered the phone was very helpful. She said she'd worn Invisaligns, also.
tiffany S.
Everyone there was very welcoming! They explained everything that would happen with treatment. We can't wait to start the process!
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