You already know that everyday stresses from family, work and life in general can have a detrimental effect on your physical and mental health. It shouldn’t be a surprise if stress also affects your dental health; in fact, your oral health may be the first symptom you have of stress-related illness.
Oral or facial pain, cold sores and even TMJ are all signs that your stress level is affecting your health. Stress doesn’t cause cold sores, but it will definitely be a factor in flare-ups of the virus that does cause the disease. If you find yourself clenching and grinding your teeth, especially while sleeping, you’ll feel it in the pain and fatigue in your jaw and facial muscles.
If you’re dealing with high levels of stress—or any level of stress that you’re finding unmanageable—we can help. Make an appointment with us here at Livonia Family Dental. Not only will we look to the symptoms and effects of stress, but we can also give you a referral for a specialist to treat the underlying causes of your stress. There’s no such thing as a life without stress, but together we can bring it under control and have you feeling better soon.
