Dentists report having more teeth grinding and jaw clenching patients, which they attribute to the coronavirus pandemic-related tension. Although grinding teeth typically occurs while you are sleeping, there are several items that you can do to reduce the effect.
The Washington Post columnist wrote about her interview as she visited her doctor because of a broken tooth and a cracked filling. Jennifer Herbert, a dentist, confirms that she has had more people with related conditions in general. "It's astronomical," says Herbert, according to the Post. "I've seen more patients with problems from grinding in the last few months than I have in the rest of my career."
Teeth grinding sometimes occurs when an entity is sleeping. The injury may involve broken teeth over time and the pain can contribute to migraines. To dampen the symptoms, certain persons use a mouthguard for protection when they sleep. Jaw clenching is identical in that pressure is added to the teeth, but grinding does not require action. The psychiatric word bruxism is deemed part of these practices.
Related patterns have also been identified by other dentists. Increased jaw pain and migraines have been recorded by others, which patients believe is related to a spike in bruxism.
Michelle Augello, owner of Nickel City Dentistry, to WKBW in Buffalo, NY, told The Hill that people are coming with more tension-type headaches, migraines, decreased opening.
"They'll say 'I used to be able to eat a turkey club sandwich, but now I can't open as big," Augello said.
Why Is This Occurring?
Experts have a couple of opinions about why this occurs. "One obvious answer is stress," writes dentist Tammy Chen in The New York Times. Chen explained that pandemic-related anxiety, from COVID-induced nightmares to 'doomsurfing' to 'coronaphobia,' affects our collective mental health. She added that stress, in turn, leads to clenching and grinding, which can damage the teeth.
Bruxism researchers have identified associations between grinding teeth and fear or tension, although that doesn't suggest it's causation. Sylvia Kreibig, a clinical psychologist at Stanford University in California, who studies the body effects of emotions in the study, says that intensified bruxism may be due to disturbed sleep and that, in turn, could influence mood and emotions throughout the day.
Meanwhile, a recent report reported in the Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a substantial uptick in orofacial and jaw discomfort. This could be attributed to intensified jaw clenching during the day and teeth grinding during the night thanks to the tension and distress induced by fear, the researchers say. Because bruxism may trigger deformities of the jaw and exacerbate deterioration, the study indicates that, particularly during the pandemic, preventing it is extremely essential.
Symptoms
The unusual part about teeth grinding is that while you're frustrated, though you might be aware of doing it, you may not be aware of doing it while asleep or even unconsciously. The symptoms of bruxism may however, also appear in other ways. It is essential to take this seriously and see your dentist. The signs of bruxism are below:
- Broken teeth or damaged fillings
- Disrupted sleep
- Earaches
- Facial pain
- Headaches
- Pain and stiffness in the jaw
- Worn-down teeth, increased sensitivity or teeth loss
How To Prevent It?
There are no medications that can suppress the grinding of teeth at present, although there are various therapies that can hopefully prevent it.
If necessary, people who grit their teeth while sleeping should get fitted for a mouthguard, custom-made for your mouth. More damage than good may be done by a mouthguard that doesn't work properly or creates weight in the wrong areas.
According to a specialist who talked to the Post, whether you clench or grit your teeth when you are sleeping, you should perform mindfulness practice, drills and strategies to teach yourself to keep from doing so. If you think you might be grinding your teeth or clenching your jaw more than usual, speak to your dentist.
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