Dentists routinely see oral symptoms of stress, including orofacial pain, cold sores and temporomandibular disorders (TMD).

"At the first sign of oral pain or infection, it's important to see your dentist," says Academy of General Dentistry spokesperson Peter Bastian, DDS, MAGD. "These symptoms may be your mouth's warning signs for more serious health risks."

Dentists know that stress and stress-related disorders, including mental illnesses such as depression, are contributing factors to heart disease, cancer, respiratory disease, accidental injuries and suicide – all leading causes of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Updated: October 2008