Is the Pandemic messing with your teeth?

Clenching, grinding and pushing:

I bet you didn’t see this coming: an increase in dental injuries attributed to the pandemic.

Dentists report a big uptick in patients grinding their teeth and broken or chipped teeth. Nearly 60% of Dentists say they are seeing more patients who grind their teeth, usually an indicator of stress. My friend’s dentist told her, “It’s all the stress with Covid-19 – People clenching, grinding and pushing on their teeth at night or even during the day.” 

Did you know people can clench eight times harder when they sleep than they do during the day?

My teeth

A few years ago my dentist recommended a bite guard. He said grinding my teeth at night was the probable cause of mandibular tori on the inside of my lower gums, as well as the cause of receding gums (sorry if that’s too much information).

At the time, bite guards seemed to be the in thing. Everyone and their neighbor was getting them, and they aren’t cheap either, so I balked. I wasn’t convinced I clenched my teeth at night anyway, although I know I do during the day.

Molar pain made me reconsider, and I finally let my dentist fit me with a plastic guard that fits over my top teeth.

The dreaded night guard!

I know a few people who hate them. They claim to spit them out a night (honestly, I don’t think that’s possible; they fit so tightly) or that the appliance made their teeth “hurt.” The guard ended up in the bathroom drawer.

I was determined to use it since I paid for it.

I admit, the guard made my teeth feel as if they were sleeping at a motel, unable to settle down to sleep. They didn’t fit in the same groove. I would shift my jaw around, trying to make sense of this foreign weirdness.

However, in the morning, my jaw felt more relaxed, so I kept at it. It was like a battle between my jaw (happy) and teeth (not so happy). If not for the pandemic, I might have returned to the dentist to see if the appliance could be adjusted, but figured the trip wasn’t worth the risk. I endured.

The battle ended

Just last week, I realized I don’t give the bite guard a second thought anymore. It feels natural in my mouth. In fact, I rather like it. I used to clench my teeth during the day, but I no longer do that either.

It took four months.

Only a dentist can make a night guard that precisely fits the dimensions of your teeth, so talk to yours if you’re experiencing jaw pain. A guard made from material that’s too soft will allow you to chew on it, increasing jaw muscle activity. Something that doesn’t fit well to hold your teeth in place can irritate the gum tissue and can cause teeth to shift over time, which can lead to dental issues later.

By the way, my husband ground his teeth at night for years (much to my horror as a new bride–it’s the most awful sound ever) and the end result was a lot of dental work. Don’t let grinding and clenching go untreated.

And if you get a night guard, be patient while you get used to it.

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Thank you for visiting Linda’s blog.

Linda K. Sienkiewicz is a writer, poet, and artist.
Learn more about her award winning novel, In the Context of Love.
Learn more about her picture book, Gordy and the Ghost Crab.
Learn more about her poetry chapbook, Security