When your efforts to protect your smile are interrupted, you are more likely to discover that you require restorative dental work at your next routine dental checkup. Unfortunately, there may be points in your life where you have a more difficult time giving your teeth and gums the attention that they deserve. When a person goes through a period of stress, their general health, mood, and habits can be affected. This can lead to problems with your smile as well. People sometimes fall out of the habit of thoroughly caring for their teeth, and may also develop problems with teeth grinding. Our Mansfield, TX dentist’s office can provide guidance and encouragement to patients who are struggling to stick to good oral hygiene during stressful times.

How Consistent Is Your Oral Care Routine?

During stressful times, people sometimes change their habits, have a harder time enjoying proper rest, and may change their diet. These issues can put your smile at risk, particularly if they throw off your routine of oral care. If you want your oral care habits to be effective, they should be consistent. In other words, you can find it more difficult to avoid tartar accumulation, gum disease, and tooth decay if you “sometimes” forget to brush your teeth. You should be cleaning your teeth at least twice a day, and during those sessions you should focus on removing harmful bacteria and food debris from every part of your smile. To further protect yourself, you should also floss at least once per day and limit your sugar intake.

Stress Can Create Problems With Habitual Teeth Grinding

Stress can make it harder for you to concentrate on daily dental care, but it can also be a threat because it leads to teeth grinding. When this problem occurs, it can lead to excess wear and tear on your enamel that can lead to visible damage. This problem can be particularly serious if you have a tendency to grind your teeth at night. While stress management can help you control this problem, you may need to look into a custom oral appliance from your dentist.

Tips For Staying Committed To A Good Oral Health Care Routine

During periods in your life where you are especially busy, or during times where you find stress hard to manage, it can be harder to stay on top of your smile care needs. Unfortunately, these circumstances are not going to suspend the potential threat of cavities, so you still have to worry about problems that can lead to the placement of dental fillings and dental crowns. Remember to always treat brushing and flossing as fixed parts of your day, and be mindful of how your diet changes might impact your relative risk for decay.

Your Mansfield, TX Dentist Can Help You Maintain A Healthy And Happy Smile

Our Mansfield, TX dentist’s office is proud to help people in and around our community with their smile care needs. We are here to help when you have active oral health concerns, but we are also ready to provide support so that you stay healthy! For more information, call our Mansfield, TX dentist’s office at 817-473-6227.