During routine dental examinations and cleanings, dentists can detect oral symptoms of stress, including orofacial pain, bruxism, temporomandibular disorders (TMJ), mouth sores and gum disease. If you're feeling tense or anxious, you should keep a watchful eye for signs of the following stress-related disorders.
There are many conditions we can identify during a visual examination of your oral cavity, even if you don't know you suffer from them. This includes mental health problems such as depression. Recent studies suggest that depression conclude depression is closely related to poor oral health.
So, can stress or anxiety cause your teeth to shift/move? The answer is a resounding YES! If feeling stressed or anxious causes you to develop bruxism, over time the regular grinding and clenching of your teeth and the subsequent pressure on them could cause them to alter position slightly.
Experiencing stress can be the cause of many teeth, mouth, gum or jaw problems, but experiencing oral health problems can lead to more stress which then exacerbates the problems. It's therefore crucial to deal with the sources of stress in your life before they can have a chance to impact on your oral health.
Signs and symptoms of dental anxiety
racing heartbeat (tachycardia) or palpitations. low blood pressure and possible fainting (syncope) visible distress, crying or signs of panic. withdrawal, or using humour or aggression to mask anxiety.
1,2 Anxiety associated with the thought of visiting the dentist for preventive care and over dental procedures is referred to as dental anxiety.
It's important to remember that dentists don't go into their profession to judge people; they go into it to help them. No matter what your oral health condition is, a good dentist will not make you feel bad about it.
Your dentist will likely smell both the breath from your mouth and the breath from your nose and rate the odor on a scale. Because the back of the tongue is most often the source of the smell, your dentist may also scrape it and rate its odor.
'” Usually, dental patients in pain or the throes of anxiety will close their eyes. That's not a problem, dentists say, unless they're tensing up the rest of their faces, too.
The effects of anxiety on oral health
If you're currently feeling anxious and overwhelmed by stress, you might experience these oral conditions: Canker sores. Dry mouth. Lichen planus (lacy white lines, red areas or mouth ulcers on the cheek, gums or tongue)
Studies have shown that mental health and oral health may be correlated, with associations demonstrated between mental health problems and tooth loss, periodontal disease, and tooth decay.
Tell your dentist what's going on.
Many people are understandably reluctant to share information about their mental state with their dentists. But it's important your dentist understand why you may be having trouble focusing on something like brushing your teeth.
In many cases, a dentist may be the first health care provider to diagnose a health problem in its early stages since many people have regular oral examinations and see their dentist more often than their physician.
Medications that can reduce saliva in the mouth include certain antidepressants, diuretics (water pills), antihistamines, decongestants, medications for Parkinson's disease, blood pressure tablets (beta blockers) and inhalers. Tell your dentist if you have been using any of these medications.
Mouth infections can cause bad breath. However, if your dentist has ruled out other causes and you brush and floss every day, your bad breath could be the result of another problem, such as a sinus condition, gastric reflux, diabetes, liver or kidney disease. In this case, see your healthcare provider.
Need to check how your breath smells quickly? Try the sniff test—there are a couple of ways to do it. If you lick your wrist, let it dry for a moment, then take a whiff, you should be able to get an idea if your breath has an odor too. Another method is to floss toward the back of your mouth, then smell the floss.
A lot of people are hesitant or afraid of the dentist because of bad teeth or chronic dental problems. If you're one of them, rest assured that there's nothing to be embarrassed about.
Similarly to flossing, your dental team will also be able to tell if you don't brush your teeth often enough or even if you brush too hard. Those who don't brush the recommended two times a day will often have larger areas of tartar buildup and puffy, red gums.
Your dentist may prescribe anti-anxiety drugs, such as diazepam (Valium), that you can take one hour before a scheduled dental visit. Your dentist may also recommend conscious sedation, such as nitrous oxide (or “laughing gas”), which can help calm nerves.
Crying or feeling the desire to cry is extremely common when you are experiencing high levels of anxiety. Pay attention to your emotions when you are thinking about a visit to the dental office.
Techniques to ease dental anxiety
These include: Dental sedation. Relaxation techniques, including music, tours of the practice and introductions to staff. Numbing the area of your mouth where treatment is needed.