There has been an outpouring of information on the relationship between stress and health, but a frequently ignored result of stress is its effect on your mouth, namely through teeth grinding.
The video on the next page from the American Dental Association on the relationship between stress and oral health lays out some of the basics.
Stress and Teeth Grinding
Why, exactly, people grind their teeth when they’re stressed remains something of a mystery, but it’s clear that people experiencing significant stress have a tendency to develop bruxism, or jaw clenching and teeth grinding. This is most frequently seen at night, but can happen during the day, too. Grinding the teeth has a few different effects. First, it can damage your teeth, chipping the enamel and causing the chewing surfaces to degrade. This can lead to sensitivity of the teeth, as well as general pain.