Dentists nationwide witness an increase of cracked teeth, broken teeth, teeth fractures, and teeth grinding due to chronic stress during Covid-19.
Dentists agree that the added stress from the pandemic and a new normal of anxiety has created a hike in dental problems.
A patient informed Dr.Bilikas at 32 Pearls Seattle about a recent NYTimes article that describes the current “epidemic of broken tooth fractures” while Oralhealthgroup.com released a similar story with the common thread. “Stress From COVID-19 Leading to an Uptick in Teeth Grinding”
The articles explain how people are more stressed by COVID, not just mentally but physically. COVID stress involves working overtime with computers at home, irregular sleeping and eating habits, and an overall strain on physical immunity.
The more stressed a person is, the more the body has to work to distribute and carry the physical stress, leading to pain, fatigue, and eventually, fracturing bones and teeth.
COVID-19 Increased Computer usage time
Spending more time on the computer leads to inadequate posture. People work hunched over laptops, which adds pressure to the whole body.
People strain their muscles, squint their eyes, and exert a lot of energy because they work online, meet online, watch TV online, and live life online.
Dentists are concerned with improper ergonomics that are a significant factor in the human nervous system. Poor body alignment triggers the nervous system, which affects muscles that lead to the temporomandibular joint.
The physical body becomes stiff, heavy, and bends inward. When the body lays down at night, the pressure is maximized on the upper body and jaw, making a person clench, grind and break their teeth. If the person becomes anxious because they are lying awake at night, the clenching gets even worse.
The NYTimes article recommends:
- Be mindful of when your teeth are touching.
- Wear a nightguard.
- Make sure your work area is well lit, and you are using proper ergonomics.
- Be sure to get up and stretch during your workday.
32 Pearls offers the relief that can help you with teeth fractures, teeth cracks, teeth grinding, stress headaches, TMJ, bruxism, teeth sensitivity, and more. We have more options and treatments available to relieve pain from fractured teeth.
Please call us for any dental problems you may be experiencing from stress. We are here to help you. We have offices in two convenient Seattle and Tacoma locations to serve you better. Call for an appointment or an emergency at (206) 322-8862.
