The restrictions, risks, and regulations resulting from the ongoing global pandemic have led to increased stress levels for many individuals. Stress can be detrimental to your overall wellbeing, including your oral health.
Deteriorating oral health can mean your smile is no longer looking its best. The dentistry experts at Gwaltney Dental in Suffolk, VA describe three stress-related behaviors that can lead to cosmetic damage to your teeth.
Choosing Staining Beverages
Heightened stress can disrupt an individual’s sleep schedule. This can encourage many people to turn to caffeinated drinks for an energy boost to get through their day. Dark-colored beverages like tea or coffee contain tannins that can absorb into tooth enamel and leave stains on your teeth.
This discoloration cannot be removed with typical oral hygiene practices. You can lower the risk of this discoloration by choosing a lighter-colored brew, adding milk to your beverage, or drinking through a straw. If you notice yellowing, staining, or discoloration in your smile, you can talk to your dentist about professional teeth whitening treatment.
Increased Teeth Grinding
Stress can initiate or exacerbate teeth grinding or clenching, also referred to as bruxism. The grating of the top teeth against the bottom arch of teeth creates abnormal pressure that can harm your teeth.
Grinding can cause several kinds of dental damage, including chipping, cracking, or fracturing teeth. Major damage will require restorative dental work to fix. But minor cases can be amended with cosmetic dentistry like teeth bonding. Your dentist might suggest wearing an oral device at night to protect your teeth from bruxism that may occur as you sleep.
Skipping Dental Cleanings
With the chaos of the pandemic, many dental patients assume it will be easier to skip their regular dentist appointments rather than try to schedule a visit during current restrictions. This can be highly detrimental to your dental health.
During these appointments, your dentist clears plaque build-up from your teeth, protecting your smile from decay, disease, and other damage. The dentist will also perform an oral examination to ensure your mouth is healthy and strong enough to resist cosmetic damage. To keep your teeth healthy and looking their best, you should visit your dentist for a routine cleaning every six months.
Cosmetic Dentistry Experts in Suffolk, VA
Gwaltney Dental provides professional teeth whitening and other cosmetic dentistry treatments to patients in Suffolk, VA. Our practice also specializes in restorative and general dentistry for patients of all ages. To schedule an appointment with us, contact our office online or reach us by phone at 757.982.8467.