How Do Your Hormones Affect Your Smile?

How Do Your Hormones Affect Your Smile?

In our last post we talked about the surprising link between stress and your oral health. Today, we’ll look at another smile-body connection you may have never considered—the connection between your hormones and your oral health.

One primary example of this is pregnancy. During pregnancy, higher progesterone levels in the body make the soft tissues of the gums more prone to irritation from plaque, which can in turn lead to problems with gum disease. All of which means that regular brushing and flossing, plus regular dental visits, are vital if you’re currently pregnant or about to become pregnant.

But pregnancy isn’t the only time when a hormone imbalance can affect your oral health. During puberty, a similar surge of hormones can increase gum sensitivity. Teaching your teen to develop a strong oral health routine is one of the best ways to combat periodontal issues during this important time, in addition to keeping up with regular cleanings at Stonebriar Smile Design.

What do both of these examples prove, and our last post, prove?  It proves that while we tend to think of our smile as something separate from the rest of our body, the human body actually functions as a whole, with every aspect potentially having an impact on the other.

If you have questions about how a hormone imbalance can affect your smile, give Stonebriar Smile Design a call today. Our team would be happy to answer your questions, in addition to setting up your next appointment with Dr. Wade. Our office happily serves patients from Frisco, Plano, McKinney, Allen, Dallas, and The Colony and beyond.

Stress and Your Smile

How Does Stress Affect Your Smile and Your Overall Well-being?

If you’ve ever come through a stressful time at work or in your everyday life, you may already know how stress can affect the body. Emotional and physical exhaustion, weight gain, premature aging, and moodiness are all examples of how stress can change you. But did you know there’s also an oral health component to stress?

You may have never guessed it, but if you experience frequent headaches or have chronic pain in your jaw, shoulders, neck, and face, you could be reacting to the stress in your life by clenching your jaw or grinding your teeth.Both are a natural reaction to stress. In fact, clenching actually contributes to the release of stress hormones. But just because these may be natural reactions, that doesn’t mean they’re good for you. Consistent grinding and clenching can eventually lead to TMJ dysfunction and can do serious damage to your teeth and jaw.

At Stonebriar Smile Design, Dr. Jill Wade can help you relieve your painful and exhausting symptoms with a full arch occlusal guard or an NTI-tss device. With each of these custom-made oral devices, Dr. Wade can put a stop to the clenching and grinding that’s destroying your smile.

Have you been experiencing painful symptoms as a result of stress? Call Stonebriar Smile Design today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Wade. Our office is conveniently located in Frisco and serves patients from Plano, McKinney, Allen, Dallas, and The Colony.