3 Ways Stress Affects Your Dental Health

Stress is usually synonymous with mental or emotional strain, but this strain also affects your oral health. Located in Los Angeles, CA, Dr. Suzanne Haeri treats all things teeth, including all stress-induced conditions.

Teeth Grinding

Bruxism or clenching and grinding of the teeth can be caused by stress and anxiety. Oftentimes, you’re unaware you’re even grinding since occurs during sleep, leading to enamel damage and even jaw soreness and headaches. To protect your teeth from the damaging effects of grinding, your Los Angeles, CA dentist recommends a dental night guard to wear. 

Gum Disease

Another condition potentially caused by stress is gum disease. If you’re under extreme stress, you’re more inclined to snacking on sugary food or even forgetting to take care of your teeth. Failure to brush or floss regularly increases your risk of tooth decay and gum disease.

Canker Sores

Canker sores or mouth ulcers are also thought to be triggered by stress or a decreased immune system. These small shallow wounds occur around the insides of your lips and make it difficult to eat or talk. While these sores naturally disappear after 7-10 days, contact our office today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Haeri.

To learn about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.suzannehaeridds.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS herself in our Los Angeles, CA office, call 310-657-2200.

Oral Thrush

If you notice a creamy white rash on their tongue, gums or tonsils you may have oral thrush. Oral thrush is an infection that is caused by candida fungus, also known as yeast. This type of fungus is supposed to exist but different illnesses can cause it to grow out of control.

Oral thrush can result from medicine that weakens the immune system by attacking healthy cells. Other causes cause of oral thrush are stress, diabetes, cancer, and HIV. Signs of oral thrush to look for are pain or difficulty swallowing, fever if the infection spreads, or the feeling of food being stuck in your chest.

Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS is able to diagnose patients with oral thrush by examining the mouth and taking a throat swab to have analyzed at the laboratory. Treatment for oral thrush is usually antifungal medication and making sure patients are practicing good oral care, which includes proper cleaning of removable or appliances such as dentures and Snap-On-Smiles.

To learn about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.suzannehaeridds.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Suzanne Haeri, DDS herself in our Los Angeles, CA office, call 310-657-2200.