Stress-Related Oral Health Conditions Continue To Increase Amid Pandemic, Survey Shows

USA Today  (3/24, Causey) carries a story from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel discussing the increase in stress-related oral health conditions amid the coronavirus pandemic. An American Dental Association survey released March 2 “found more than 70% of dentists report an increase of patients with teeth grinding and clenching problems – conditions often associated with stress.” The survey also found that 63% of dentists “reported an increase in chipped and cracked teeth, and 62% reported an increase in temporomandibular joint disorder.” On Sept. 21, 2020, “less than 60% of dentists surveyed reported increases in the same categories.”
KHON-TV  Honolulu (3/23, Speakman) discusses how “the stress of the pandemic over the last year has impacted some peoples’ daily lives.” For instance, dentists are seeing more patients with oral health problems related to “teeth grinding or jaw clenching due to stress.”