Dr. Dixon's Blog

Most people don't associate stress with dental problems. While it can cause a number of health issues and significantly influence your physical and mental health, few people consider the connection between stress and their mouth. Most don't realize that when they're stressed or anxious they can damage their teeth.

More than 10 million Americans currently are affected by serious eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating, according to the National Eating Disorders Association. While anyone can suffer from an eating disorder, they are most common in teenagers and young adult women. In addition to having a negative impact on an individual's health and quality of life, eating disorders also affect self-image, relationships with families and friends, and performance in school or at work. If you suffer from an eating disorder, it's important to talk to your health care provider immediately.

A piece in the American Student Dental Association's September newsletter discusses do-it-yourself dentistry, a trend that is spreading through a number of YouTube videos highlighting the practice. For example, there's a video seen nearly 2.2 million times that is titled "Dentists Hate This Video!" and it shows a young woman using a do-it-yourself method to fix a cavity. Her video is one of hundreds touting all kinds of homegrown cures for dental problems, and, of course, they all come with disclaimers that limit any liability when things go wrong.

Like most of you, I have health insurance. Like most of you, my health insurance says it covers dental work. As with most of you, this is basically fiction. Insurance companies are famously stingy at the dentist.

If you occasionally experience small sores in the softer inside tissues of your mouth, you may have aphthous ulcers, better known as canker sores, and frequently called fever blisters. While rarely a health concern, they can be painful and annoying particularly when you're eating and drinking.