Stress can take a toll on your teeth, leading to periodontal disease, a scientific review has found.
The report found that 57 per cent of the studies it reviewed between 1990 and 2006 found a strong correlation between stress, distress, anxiety, depression and loneliness, and periodontal disease...
...Researchers theorize that cortisol, a hormone produced by stress, can lead to increased destruction of gums and jaw bone, as well as to a suppressed immune system, allowing bacteria to flourish... ...
"Problems start when the stress response is inappropriate to the size of the challenge, producing neuroendocrine and biochemical changes that result in significant adverse effects on the proper functioning of the immune system," reads the report.
The findings are published in the August 2007 issue of Journal of Periodontology...
