How Stress Can Impact Your Oral Health

The coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis is affecting everyone around the world. The stress from this crisis alone can have negative impacts on your dental health. At Cosmetic Dentistry Associates, we want to keep you informed on how stress can impact your oral health. Additionally, we want to offer some tips on how to combat these negative effects.

Poor Dietary Habits

Because of the unusually high levels of stress everyone is under during this crisis, many people may find themselves turning to sugary and teeth-staining foods and beverages for comfort. Foods like hard-candies, tomato-based sauces, potato chips, and citrus fruits are all known to be tough on your teeth. Additionally, drinks like sodas, red wine, coffee, and tea can have damaging effects on your smile. You should be cautious of how often you consume substances that leave behind sticky residues and staining agents on your teeth during this time. If you do indulge in them, please make sure to follow them up by brushing and flossing your teeth to remove any residue left behind on your teeth.

Poor Oral Hygiene Habits

Our daily routines are all being thrown off by this crisis. We want to encourage our patients not to neglect their oral health during this time. Brush and floss your teeth twice a day at least. This will go a long way in preventing serious dental concerns like gum disease. If your preventative oral hygiene appointment has been postponed during this time, stay on top of your oral hygiene habits and ensure your appointment gets rescheduled.  If you currently have an appointment with Cosmetic Dentistry Associates, you will be contacted by Denise and we will reschedule for a future date if you have not already been rescheduled. We do not want to see our patients dealing with the negative consequences of neglecting their oral hygiene after this crisis subsides.

Tension Headaches & Jaw Pain

Common responses to stress are jaw clenching and teeth grinding. If you have had those habits in the past, it is likely they will pop back up again during times of high stress like the COVID-19 crisis. We want to encourage our patients to take several breaks throughout the day to relax their facial muscles and stretch their jaw around to reduce the amount of tension. If you experience headaches, earaches, or jaw pain during this time, you should mention these symptoms at your next dental appointment. Our dentists will be able to provide you TMJ treatment to help relieve your pain or discomfort.

It is very important to the doctors and team members to keep you informed and help you in any way we can. We will always be available for calls, texts, or emails throughout this crisis. If you have a dental emergency or questions, contact us at 845-364-0400. For extreme emergencies, call Dr. Tang at 201-724-4556. We wish everyone in our community continued health and safety during this time.