Holiday Stress And The Effects On Your Smile

December 21, 2018

Christmastime can be a time of joy and happiness. It is certainly a beautiful time of year in Lafayette, LA. It can also be a time of loneliness and stress for a lot of people. With family staying over for the holidays, the financial burden of gift shopping, and just the sheer hustle and bustle of it all, stress can feel overwhelming at this time of the year. Un-managed stress can negatively effect your overall health. It can create imbalance with your hormones, raise your blood sugar, and more. Stress can also have negative effects on your smile’s health. Managing your stress with deep breathing, meditation, or whatever method works for you can help to counter some of these effects.

Strain on Your Jaw

When you get tense or stressed out, do you notice that your muscles also get tense? When your jaw tenses up, it can cause you to clench your teeth together. If this becomes a habit over a long period of time, jaw clenching can put a lot of excess strain on your jaw muscles and joints. This stress and strain on the jaw can increase your risk of developing TMJ disorder. TMJ is an abbreviation for temporomandibular joints, which are the joints on either side of your jaw. TMJ disorder can be a painful condition where your jaw feels sore, pops, clicks, and locks. You may also experience chronic headaches or pain in the face, neck, and shoulders.

Being Too Busy for Hygiene

Holidays can make you feel like you have just too much to do. Even if you are lucky enough to get some time off of school or work, you may have a long to-do list to take care of. If you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed, it is important to still take time to take care of yourself. Brushing and flossing your teeth land in the self-care category. Doing these things at least twice a day can help you keep your smile healthy.

Manage Stress for Your Smile’s Sake

Stress can negatively effect your smile’s health and your overall health. To schedule a consultation by calling E-Care Dentistry, PA in Olathe, KS, today at 913-210-1701. We also proudly serve patients from Overland Park, Lenexa, Leawood, Gardner, Spring Hill, Osawatomie, Edgerton, Shawnee, Johnson County, De Soto, Paola, Lawrence, and all surrounding communities.