You probably know yoga is great for your body, but what about for your teeth? Here are 3 reasons why yoga may benefit your oral health…

Yoga has so many amazing benefits – whether you’re young, old, male, or female – there are lots of great reasons to do yoga on a regular basis. But you may not think of yoga as being beneficial for your dental health. Most people think of oral health practices as things like brushing and flossing regularly, and avoiding sugar.

But did you know that doing yoga may actually be good for your teeth? In fact, a regular yoga practice may help keep your teeth, gums, and overall health in good shape, according to this article from YogaBasics.com.

While there aren’t any specific yoga poses that directly impact your teeth, yoga provides many benefits that may indirectly impact your overall oral health. Starting a regular yoga practice (if you don’t already have one) can be a great addition to your oral hygiene routine.

Here are 3 ways that doing yoga may be good for your teeth:

1.) Yoga alleviates stress

Stress is inevitable, and it’s a daily struggle for numerous individuals. It can impact your mental, emotional, and physical health. When you’re stressed, you may find yourself easily exhausted, annoyed over the smallest things, and constantly tired with almost no energy to pursue other tasks. You may also experience physical symptoms of stress such as headaches, back pains, neck pains, and tight muscles. But aside from all those, stress can adversely affect your dental health in that it can trigger jaw clenching and teeth grinding, or more popularly known as bruxism.

Teeth grinding and jaw clenching are unconscious movements that some people do when they’re constantly stressed. Sometimes, they can even happen during your sleep. Over time, bruxism caused by stress will lead to long-term dental issues such as:

• Chipped or cracked teeth
• Broken teeth
• Gum recession
• Loose teeth
• Flat teeth
• Jaw misalignment
• Worn tooth enamel
• Jaw pain
• Tooth sensitivity

Thankfully, yoga can help your body recover and manage your stress levels. Performing yoga regularly is known to significantly reduce stress and, later on, eliminate bruxism and other oral health problems…

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2.) Yoga boosts saliva production

Your saliva serves a crucial purpose in your oral health. It’s responsible for keeping bacteria and food debris at bay, which are the leading causes of tooth decay and gum inflammation. Moreover, your saliva keeps your mouth moist and prevents it from drying out.

However, when your salivary glands reduce their saliva production, you may experience chronic dry mouth, which can be a thriving environment for bacteria. Ultimately, when bacteria multiply in your mouth, this will lead to oral health issues such as gum disease, tooth decay, and plaque buildup. Some common factors that may cause your body to slow down its saliva production include allergies, breathing through the mouth, dust, dry air, certain medications, and illness.

Practicing yoga is believed to help stimulate your salivary glands. Some yoga poses, such as twists, forward bends, and inverted poses may boost saliva production and eventually improve your dental health.

3. Yoga encourages better posture

Another thing you may not realize is that your posture is directly linked to your dental health. When you’re not standing or sitting straight, your back hunches over and forces your neck to push forward. This pressure causes your jaw to mis-align and ultimately leads to teeth misalignment. Aside from that, poor posture can cause facial and jaw pain. Once your teeth are misaligned, this will pressure your jaw and facial muscles, leading to bruxism.

Doing yoga regularly can help aid poor posture. Most yoga poses and stretches encourage you to maintain proper standing and sitting posture throughout the day. It’s also a good idea to do yoga poses after you’ve been sitting in your office for extended hours to prevent jaw misalignment caused by your bad posture…

Read More at YogaBasics.com…