When you think of meditation, a room full of people quietly sitting in the lotus position is probably what comes to mind. But it’s what’s going on inside of those people that’s extraordinary– the deep level of relaxation you enter during meditation serves as a reboot for your entire body. With this practice, comes proven benefits for your health, well-being, and even your oral health.
Common Forms of Meditation
While many types of meditation exist and seem to come from different cultures, the truth is that all forms of meditation are derived from a single source: Yoga. Most styles of yoga do provide some degree of meditation, a lot of them incorporate an active workout as well. Other styles of meditation, such as transcendental meditation (TM) or Buddhist meditation are more like the traditional form, where you’re sitting in a relaxed position breathing deeply.
List of 10 Types of Meditation
- Kundalini Yoga
- Transcendental Meditation
- Buddhist Meditation (Chanting)
- Zen Meditation
- Chi Kung (Chinese meditation combined with small movements)
- Guided Meditations (From an app, coach, or video)
- Concentration Meditation
- Reflective Meditation
- Heart-Centered Meditation
- Walking Meditation
Preparing to Meditate – Factors to Consider
If you have some time set aside and a quiet location, you’re ready to start meditating. Some people prefer other aids to their meditation, such as light music or a pillow. It’s also worth considering whether you’re likely to be interrupted during your session, which can happen if you live in a busy or crowded house. Digestive issues can disrupt your concentration as well, similar to swimming or playing a sport, so you want to avoid eating before your meditation session.
How Can Meditation Help Your Oral Health?
Meditation provides a wide array of benefits for your body, but one of them is paramount in helping your oral health: Stress reduction. No other activity provides the stress decreasing effect you can experience with meditation. Since a wide range of illnesses and dental conditions develop due to excess stress, this stress-reducing property makes mediation a powerful tool for preventing health problems.
Bruxism – Grinding Your Teeth to a Point Where it Causes Damage
While everyone grinds their teeth at one time or another, some people do it so habitually that it can disrupt their alignment and lead to TMJ problems. Furthermore, the action of grinding your teeth against each other can cause permanent damage to their enamel, which is their external protective shell. If you’re wondering how meditation can prevent or curtail such a dental disease, it boils down to its main cause: Excessive stress.
If left untreated, bruxism can go from a common annoyance to a devastating problem for your oral health. Grinding your teeth is a traumatic action that can cause permanent damage, especially if you’re doing it often. If grinding your teeth becomes so severe that it’s affecting your smile, dental sleep specialists like Dr. Iregui from SoundBridge Dental Arts will be able to monitor your sleep and develop a treatment plan to put an end to your bruxism.
Meditation May Be the Answer to Your Bruxism
With consistent meditation practice, you can make a meaningful impact on lowering your stress levels. As your stress drops significantly, you’ll notice that your instances of bruxism begin to dissipate as well. The calm demeanor brought about by regularly participating in meditation sessions can vastly improve your health and single-handedly help you manage your bruxism.
TMJ Disorders – Causing Pain in and Around Your Jaw
Certain parts of the body do not respond well to excess stress. The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the joint that connects the jawbone to the skull, and it plays a key role in chewing, speaking, and other functions. Problems with the TMJ are typically known as TMJ disorders or TMD, and they can affect nearly every part of your life.
Treatment for TMJ problems can vary greatly depending on the severity and type of complaints the patient has. It may come as a surprise, but dentists are the professionals who are most likely to examine and treat your TMJ. In addition to a wide range of dental procedures, doctors like Terrance Wolbaum of Aurora, CO will treat your TMJ to prevent lockjaw and pain in the surrounding area.
Meditation is a Reliable Way to Manage Your TMJ Symptoms
When you’re overstressed, it can cause inflammation and tension in and around your TMJ, resulting in a variety of uncomfortable symptoms. Meditation is a phenomenal way to keep your stress levels low and ensure that they don’t reach critical levels to the point where they have an impact on your TMJ.
Gum Disease – Common Dental Problem that Can Lead to Tooth Loss
Along with cavities, gum disease is the most common dental condition that people develop. It’s caused by plaque that accumulates along the gumline, leading to infection in the gums and surrounding area. There are three stages to gum disease and at its most severe, it can cause your teeth to fall out. Although dental neglect is a common cause, other factors ranging from medications to pregnancy can aggravate the symptoms.
There is a Strong Link Between Excess Stress and Tooth Loss
Like many health problems, gum disease has a powerful adverse reaction to stress. A remarkable 57% of studies performed on the topic found that stress, depression, anxiety, and similar mental ailments also had a profound effect on spreading gum disease. This clearly shows the importance of finding effective ways to manage stress in your life.
Meditate for a Cleaner, Healthier Smile
Gum disease is not a fun dental problem to have– it begins by causing irritation and inflammation in the gum tissue and goes on to cause permanent damage to the fibers that hold your teeth in place. Knowing that you can avoid these symptoms by taking care of your teeth and keeping your stress to a minimum is a relief. Simply make meditation a part of your life and your smile is likely to remain bright and healthy.
Learn to Stay Deeply Relaxed For a Fresh, Healthy Smile
Meditation allows your body and brain to recharge, hitting the reset button on any tension that’s trapped within. Excess stress plays a huge role in developing a wide range of health problems. Choosing to make meditation a part of your life now is a time-investment into your body and teeth that will provide enriching results in the long run.