{"id":393,"date":"2022-10-11T16:37:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-11T16:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.berquistdentistry.com\/blog\/?p=393"},"modified":"2022-11-02T16:44:15","modified_gmt":"2022-11-02T16:44:15","slug":"chronic-stress-and-oral-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.berquistdentistry.com\/blog\/chronic-stress-and-oral-health\/","title":{"rendered":"The Link Between Chronic Stress & Oral Health"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In small doses, stress can motivate you to succeed at tasks, boost your brainpower, and can even make your immune system stronger. Unfortunately, when stress becomes chronic, consistently feeling overwhelmed can lead to serious health issues, such as anxiety, fatigue, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Chronic stress can also cause a lot of damage to your oral health. Continue reading to learn how chronic stress effects your oral health and how to prevent<\/a> it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Chronic Stress & Oral Health<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Chronic stress can take a big toll on your oral health if it\u2019s left untreated. Adrenal glands are small, triangular-shaped, and located on top of both kidneys. They produce a steroid hormone called cortisol, which helps regulate your body’s stress response. Cortisol can also impair the immune system function, which can raise one\u2019s risk of developing gum disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Journal of Periodontology hosted a study and found that 56% of participants with chronic stress also did not brush and floss the recommended amount. Additionally, they were much more likely to smoke cigarettes and practice other harmful dental habits. Patients with chronic stress also develop cold sores, tooth decay, and teeth grinding more often than those without it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6 Ways to Prevent These Oral Health Issues<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Though chronic stress and oral health  don\u2019t mix well, there are a few ways you can lower your risk of encountering smile problems, such as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n