Permanent stress can damage our teeth

Stress, let it go: If too high loads hurt your teeth

More than half of adults in Germany feel stressed out. For many, it is work, private life or the balancing act between the two. But who lives under permanent tension, harms his body. In particular, the teeth suffer greatly under increasing loads. "Every fifth German is now suffering from stress-induced teeth grinding, also called bruxism", reports Dr. med. Stephan Ziegler, chief dentist and founder of the KU64 dental practice from Berlin.

Nocturnal danger

If you are under stress, you will not find peace during your sleep. Instead of recovering, sufferers unconsciously tighten their jaw muscles at night and grind their teeth. At the same time, ten times the normal pressure when chewing acts on the dentition and thus damages the tooth substance.

In some cases, the partner wakes up through the grinding noises and notices the problem, because often it remains undetected by those affected. First signs such as mild jaw pain after waking up, or the feeling of not being properly recovered despite enough sleep, does not connect many people to bruxism. "Dentists recognize the disease on abraded straight occlusal surfaces, which are caused by the constant load. In advanced cases, fissures develop in the enamel, weakening the tooth and paving the way for dangerous bacteria to get inside, "Dr. Ziegler.

Relaxation for the teeth

As a first measure prevents a bite splint made of plastic, also called crunching rail that upper and lower jaw press together at night and thus protects the teeth from abrasion. However, it does not remedy the cause of bruxism, but merely protects against consequential damage. If the crunch is caused by misaligned teeth or badly fitting crowns and fillings, dental or orthodontic treatment can help. However, the most common cause of bruxism is stress.

"In these cases, an interdisciplinary approach is necessary. Dental treatment to alleviate the symptoms and repair damage that has already occurred will only work in the long term if there is an active response to the cause of the stress, "emphasizes Dr. med. Ziegler. For example, a psychotherapy or the learning of relaxation techniques are suitable for this. If the strenuous phase of life is overcome and calm again, the crunch often disappears by itself. (Sb, Pm)