COVID-19: Is stress adversely affecting your oral health?

The changes to our lives due to the coronavirus outbreak have been very stressful for many. If you have a tendency to clench your jaw or grind your teeth, these stressful times may be impacting you more than you know! There are a number of symptoms associated with bruxism and can include:

• tension in your jaw muscles
• tooth pain
• ear pain
• recurring headaches
• popping or clicking in the jaw
• neck and shoulder pain and tightness

If the stress of life is causing you to grind throughout the night, there are a number of ways to decrease stress in your sleep routine:

• unplug: Power off prior to bed. Turn off phones, tablets, and television at least an half hour prior to lights out. Consider a book, soothing music or white noise, or whatever calms your mind to prevent tooth grinding
• take a warm bath: a warm bath can relax tense muscles and relieve stress. Try adding lavendar or eucalyptus for aromatherapy!
• Lights off: turn off those annoying blinking lights on all of our electronic devices in your bedroom. 

If the home remedies are not working and you are still experiencing any of the above symptoms, please make your dentist aware at your next visit. Dr. Nancy Rotroff or Dr. Gerard Wasselle can discuss your symptoms and create a custom mouth guard to stop your night time grinding. We are here to help not only prevent ongoing tooth damage due to bruxism but also other more complex problems associated with bruxism.  We understand that your oral health is only one component of your overall health and wellness. Our expert and caring staff are committed to your dental and overall health by providing Excellence in Dentistry for your entire family in our Ft. Lauderdale office. Call us today at 954-928-1666.