Cigna launches new podcast on how stress and anxiety affect oral health

BLOOMFIELD, Conn. — You think you are managing life’s stresses, now add the looming tax deadline and is it any wonder you have nagging headaches, maybe a cold sore ... and is that an earache you’re feeling? To help individuals understand how stress impacts their oral health Cigna (NYSE: CI) has launched a new audio podcast on its website. The listening session helps individuals understand how stress and anxiety can affect oral health, not only at tax time, but throughout the year.

“It’s widely accepted that people can feel stress in the body, and it is important to understand how stress affects oral health,” said Dr. Miles Hall, dental director for Cigna. “An individual may not be aware they are clenching their teeth or grinding them at night, and that could be a direct result of how they manage — or don’t manage — stresses during the day.” Dr. Hall shares with listeners that pain near their ear that might feel like an earache could actually be temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain caused by clenching or grinding, or other reasons.

“Individuals should visit their dental care professional who can evaluate the current state of their oral health. The dentist can also make recommendations to help ease the symptoms of stress in the mouth,” said Dr. Hall. “And if a person’s stress is made worse at the thought of going to the dentist, they can have a consultation with the dentist first to make the dentist aware of their fears.”

In addition to dental podcasts on www.cigna.com, Cigna's dental DHMO customers can find real-time information about their dental benefits, online tools such as cavity and gum disease risk assessments, and dental health articles and videos from WebMD at myCigna.com.

SOURCE: Business Wire