Can your teeth really fall out from stress like Demi Moore's did?

Stress is known to cause clumps of hair to fall out and to increase the risk of developing diseases but few are aware of one shocking side effect.

Demi Moore, 54, revealed that stress can cause teeth to fall out - and it happened to her.

She confessed she lost her two front teeth while appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the Daily Mail reports.

The actress said she thought it was important to share what happened to her because many are unaware of the full toll that stress can take on the body.

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Although what happened to Demi is extremely rare, dentists and health experts agree that stress really can lead to your pearly whites falling out.

While on the late-night show, Moore said: "I sheared off my front teeth. I'd love to say it was skateboarding or something really kind of cool, but I think ... I think it's something that's important to share because I think it's literally, probably after heart disease, one of the biggest killers in America, which is stress."

She continued: "Stress sheared off my front tooth. But, in an effort to get ready for you, I wanted to make sure my teeth were in."

Dr Matthew Messina, a spokesperson for the American Dental Association, confirmed that stress can cause teeth to fall out, but it won't happen overnight. 

Speaking to the Daily Mail Online, he said: "This is not going to happen in an instant. People shouldn't think that because they're stressed it means their teeth are going to fall out immediately.

"But you have to understand and listen to what your body is telling you.

"If people's gums are bleeding, they grind their teeth or if their teeth hurt when they wake up in the morning, they need to listen to that."

Dr Messina said the number one cause for tooth loss in adults is periodontal disease, which studies have linked to stress. 

A comprehensive review in 2007 found a strong relationship between the two factors, with a majority of studies confirming the link.

The author of the review Dr Daiane Peruzzo said: "More research is needed to determine the definitive relationship between stress and periodontal diseases. 

"However, patients who minimise stress may be at less risk for periodontal diseases."

Dr Messina added that clenching and grinding teeth, which stems from stress, can play a role in tooth loss.

This article was first published on Daily Mail and is republished here with permission.