The ongoing pandemic has led to heightened restrictions, regulations, and health risks around the world. This has increased stress levels in many individuals, which can be detrimental to your health, including your mouth.
If your oral health is not at its best, the appearance of your smile can suffer. Dr. Joseph Thompson, a dentist in Greeley, CO, describes three stress-induced oral habits that could harm your smile and require you to seek cosmetic dentistry solutions.
3 Oral Habits That Cause Cosmetic Dental Damage
Drinking Too Many Beverages That Stain
Stress can disrupt your sleep schedule, encouraging you to turn to a cup of coffee or tea for a caffeine boost to get you through your routine. These beverages get their dark color from tannins, which can absorb into tooth enamel and leave stains on the surface of your teeth. This tooth discoloration cannot be removed with your usual oral hygiene methods.
Mixing milk into your drink, sipping through a straw, or choosing a lighter-colored blend can lower your risk of tooth stains while drinking coffee but will not eliminate the chances entirely. Patients with tooth discoloration may benefit from professional teeth whitening treatment from their dentist.
Grinding Your Teeth
Heightened stress levels can initiate or exacerbate a tooth grinding or clenching habit. The pressure of the top row of teeth grating against the bottom row can cause jaw pain as well as damage the appearance of your smile.
Teeth can be at risk of chipping, cracking, or fracturing with continued grinding behavior. This may require restorative or cosmetic dental solutions to repair, depending on the severity of the tooth breakage. Your dentist may ask you to wear a mouthguard overnight for protection against grinding that may occur in your sleep.
Skipping Dental Cleanings
The restrictions of the ongoing pandemic may lead many patients to conclude it will be less stressful to skip their routine dental cleanings rather than schedule an appointment with their dentist. This could negatively impact their oral health and therefore the look of their smiles.
During these appointments, dentists clean plaque and tartar from spots in the mouth missed by your oral hygiene regimen. If these are left on your teeth, your enamel could erode, leaving your smile vulnerable to structural and cosmetic harm. Dentists recommend attending routine cleanings every six months.
Talk to Cosmetic Dentistry Experts in Greeley, CO
Thompson Advanced Dentistry offers professional teeth whitening and other cosmetic dentistry treatments to patients in Greeley, CO. Dr. Thompson also specializes in general and restorative dentistry for patients of all ages. To schedule an appointment with our practice, contact us online or reach our office by phone at 970.205.9614.