The topic of oral health can be described as intense and complex because of its sensitivity. Oral health is one part of the body that has a pronounced impact on general and emotional health.
Emotional health? Yes, oral health is connected to emotional health because there are specific activities we engage in reacting to our emotions, and these actions negatively affect our oral health.
One of these activities or habits harmful to oral health is teeth grinding.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowTeeth grinding involves clenching your jaws together repeatedly. It has various forms ranging from overnight teeth grinding to sharp teeth grinding.
It is also referred to as bruxism, and many people engage in this act so much that they find themselves in it unconsciously.
Bruxism impacts the teeth as it can result in diverse oral health issues. Bruxism is an oral health issue caused by several factors ranging from abnormal dentition to anger and anxiety.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowFrom the above paragraph, we can see that one of the factors that lead to bruxism is anger, anxiety, and stress. These factors are emotionally related and instigate the act of teeth grinding.
This article will explain how stress, anxiety, and anger can instigate teeth grinding and how to address bruxism caused by emotionally-related factors. So, read on for more exciting information.
How Emotions Influence Development of Bruxism
A Riverhead dentist, Dr. Cekada, explains that when people experience emotional instability like anger, anxiety, or stress, there is high production of specific hormones in the body.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowThese hormones stimulate the body to take action as this is the only way the hormones can be given some degree of rest. This theory is explained by the reaction you get from people when they are emotional, where they either flair up, cry, or more.
When the individual refuses to exercise the hormones, the teeth provide an outlet to exercise these hormones. The individual begins clenching the teeth repeatedly.
This habit continues that it becomes a norm for the hormones to exact their selves whenever there is the presence of emotional instability. Hence, individuals unconsciously grind their teeth whenever they are anxious, angry, or stressed.
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading NowIt is safe to say that teeth grinding or bruxism is connected to emotions because it serves as an outlet to express emotions without physically moving any part of the body.
Harmful Effects of Bruxism or Teeth Grinding on Oral Health
Specific oral problems highlight how harmful bruxism is to your oral health, thus, emphasizing the need to address this oral health condition. These oral problems include:
- Headaches: This is more of a general health problem where you experience nagging headaches. These nagging headaches result from constant teeth grinding that forces the muscles surrounding your jaw to become tense.
- Lack of sleep: There is bruxism that happens while sleeping, but with time, it reaches a time where you experience difficulty sleeping because you are very uncomfortable.
- Lockjaw: This is an oral health problem characterized by difficulty and pain experienced when trying to move the jaw.
- Worn-out crown: The frictional force exerted on the teeth s crown from teeth grinding makes the crowns lose form and shape, making it difficult for them to function effectively.
Tips for Addressing Bruxism or Teeth Grinding Caused by Emotional-Related Factors
We have seen the harmful effects of bruxism on oral health and general health. Hence, here are tips to address this oral health condition:
Discover Your FREE Personalized Moon Reading Now- Exercise: From the paragraph on how emotions Influence teeth grinding, we noted that emotion instability causes the release of hormones that need to be engaged; thus, exercising is one form of engaging those hormones and ensuring to exercise at least 30 minutes a day.
- Meditation: This involves finding some form of emotional stability. This allows you to address the reason for your anxiety and anger and also enables you to find peace if you are stressed.
- Counseling: Sometimes, all you need when experiencing emotional imbalance is someone to talk to; thus, make time to go for counseling at least once in a while.
Conclusion
The information above highlights how teeth grinding (bruxism) is connected to emotional stability. It has also discussed how to address bruxism caused by emotional imbalance.
