After a full year of lockdown and social distancing regulations, we can admit that the global pandemic has been nerve-wracking. This stress may have manifested in damage to your teeth. If you notice your smile is not looking its best, you could benefit from cosmetic dental work. The dentists at Fuller Dental in Burlington, NC describe three ways pandemic stress can affect your teeth that may require cosmetic dentistry.
Stress can affect your sleep pattern. Patients who experience high amounts of stress may get less sleep or a lower quality of sleep. If they start their day drowsy and groggy, they may want to drink coffee or tea for a caffeine boost. Dark-colored beverages like these contain tannins that absorb into tooth enamel, causing discoloration, yellowing, and staining. Light-colored brews or adding milk to your beverage may lower the risk of this cosmetic damage. Professional teeth whitening treatment can reverse these staining effects and enhance your smile.
Stress and anxiety can lead a patient to grind or clench their teeth in a behavior called bruxism. The pressure that occurs when the top and bottom teeth grate against each other can leave your jaw sore, but it can also harm your teeth. If your teeth have chipped or broken due to bruxism, you may require restorative dental work.
Mild damage can be fixed cosmetically with tooth bonding. In this process, a dentist uses resin to fill gaps, cracks, and chips in teeth. Because bruxism often occurs during sleep, your dentist may recommend wearing a mouthguard or oral appliance at night to protect your teeth from damage caused by this unconscious behavior.
Dentists recommend scheduling a routine cleaning and exam every six months. With pandemic regulations and overall stress from this global crisis, many patients are skipping their regular appointments. During a professional cleaning, your dentist removes plaque and tartar from your teeth in places that are missed by traditional brushing. If left untreated, this plaque causes cavities.
Cavities can worsen over time, and the decay can lead to infection, which may require costly dental work. Your dentist can fill cavities as well as provide fluoride treatment that can strengthen enamel. This treatment can make your teeth more resistant to cosmetic damage.
Fuller Dental provides cosmetic dentistry services to patients in Burlington, NC. Our practice also specializes in restorative dentistry, implants, and orthodontics for patients of all ages. To schedule an appointment with us, contact our office online or reach us by phone at 336.290.7401.
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