Anxiety has long been linked to illnesses such as depression and heart disease. Studies have shown that people who are, or have recently been, under stress were more likely to develop a cold because their immune systems were less effective. The results showed that participants who were anxious had immune systems that were less sensitive to cortisol, a hormone that helps control the immune system’s inflammatory response.
Because stress inhibits your immune system, bacteria are able to grow and thrive more than normal. Therefore, it increases the development of dental plaque, which is predominantly comprised of oral bacteria. Excessive plaque formation and increased inflammation are major contributing factors to the development and destruction of periodontal disease.
The first step to reducing your stress levels is identifying your key stress factors. Removing these factors, or at least limiting your exposure to them, can significantly reduce your anxiety levels.
To learn more, contact Dr. Kania at our Encinitas periodontal care office by calling (706) 642-0711. We serve patients from Encinitas, San Diego, Rancho Santa Fe, Del Mar, La Costa, and the neighboring communities.
When you develop periodontal disease, this could lead to attachment loss between your gums and…
When should you seek treatment with a periodontist? Understanding the warning signs of issues like…
When you have serious periodontal issues, this could mean uncomfortable symptoms and even the risk…
When you have gum disease, we like to take a holistic approach to manage the…
When you receive treatment for gum disease, or if you have gingivitis, then treatment to…
When possible, we want to offer care in the initial inflammation stages to help manage…