Metro Dentist

By Lawrence Spindel DDS, Tuesday October  7, 2008

Due to our recent Wall Street meltdown, this is clearly a time when lots and lots of people are worried and stressed out about their finances and their futures.  It is well known that stress can adversely affect the health of your mouth and teeth, as well as your overall health.

It is well documented in literature that stress can cause gum disease.  Solders in World War I were said to develop ‘Trench Mouth ’. Now we call this condition Acute Necretizing Gingivitis and it can be found in people who have poor oral hygiene, lack of sleep and a weakened immune system.

Also people under stress tend to not have as good hygiene and often eat comfort foods which are high in carbohydrates.  The bacteria that cause cavities love carbohydrates and are able to easily turn carbohydrates into sugar! So, it may be possible that people under stress, may be more likely to develop cavities!

Stress can cause an increase in bruxism and possibly worsen night time tooth grinding, both of which can make it more likely for a patient to experience cracked teeth and symptoms of TMD.

It is my observation that people worried about finances put off performing regular preventive procedures.  During a recession it is harder for my office manager to schedule recare appointments for cleanings and check ups. Unfortunately, patients are much more likely to wait to schedule a dental appointment until they experience a dental emergency.

How can we mitigate the effects of stress?  When I am faced with mental stress, if at all possible I try and ‘change the channel’ and if I can, I think about other things.  I do not watch the ‘gloom and doom’ cable news shows that, no matter what, seem to think that the sky is falling. I am not advocating not taking any and all steps to protect ones finances and job, but continual worrying about things we can not control serves no constructive purpose.

Instead I keep to my established routine as much as feasible. Keeping our concern about finances aside, there are other things in life that continue to be wonderful.  Why not focus on them.  Our glass is still half full and will tend to stay that way as long as we take care of ourselves and our families.