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grinding your teeth? check your posture
covid stress has us grinding our teeth to pieces.
sep 11 2020
2 minute read
the pandemic is seriously stressing out our teeth.
getty
if you’ve spent pandemic days hunched over your laptop and pandemic nights grinding your teeth, you’re in good company.
dentists across north america are reporting an increase in bruxism — the medical term for excessive jaw clenching and teeth grinding — and even cracked and fractured teeth. the culprit? coronavirus stresses have not been kind to our mouths.
dr. tammy chen, a prosthodontist based in new york city, wrote a piece in the new york times explaining how busy she’s become during the pandemic: “i’ve seen more tooth fractures in the last six weeks than in the previous six years.”
chen says she was flooded with calls in march during the clinic’s closure with patients describing headaches, jaw pain and yes, teeth grinding. once she re-opened her practice in june, she’s seen a tooth fracture case every day she’s been in the office: “on average, i’m seeing three to four; the bad days are six-plus fractures.”
and while the extra stress of the pandemic is a factor, chen also says that with many people working from home suddenly, setting up makeshift offices and workstations at kitchen tables or couches, bad posture can also lead to grinding.
during these strange times, many people are reporting even stranger dreams and bouts of insomnia . chen explains that poor sleep is another factor contributing to the rise of grinding, headaches and tooth fractures.
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stressed out new yorkers aren’t the only ones experiencing the problem. halifax dentist dr. sura hadad told the cape breton post she’s treated about 50 patients for fractures and jaw pain since she reopened in june.
other nova scotia dentists are echoing the big apple’s chen. dr. jainin wolfe, a dentist in oxford, said during her clinic’s closure she was also fielding a lot of phone calls related to bruxism. “i would say symptoms associated with clenching and grinding were about a third of my emergencies.” another dentist in toronto said he saw an uptick in cracked molars and damaged fillings leading to abscesses during the spring lockdowns.
how do you know you are grinding?
dr. gerald smith, president of the ontario dental association, explains the signs of bruxism: “the patient may experience soreness of the jaw, facial pain and headaches. more often than not, patients aren’t even aware that they clench their jaws, or they may grind their teeth during sleep.”
aside from discomfort, grinding and clenching can wear down tooth surfaces over time. mouth guards and managing stress is one way to fight the habit, he says.
chen suggests fixing up your workspace with ergonomic considerations in mind, exercising and taking a soak in the tub. she also recommends wiggling around on the floor like a fish to elongate your spine and release tension: “lie down on the floor on your back, with your arms extended straight above your head, and gently wiggle your arms, shoulders, hips and feet from side to side.”
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at the very least, you’ll feel ridiculous, smile and unclench your jaw.
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