The Increase in Use of Night Guards caused by Covid Related Stress

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It’s no secret that the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak is causing people a lot of stress – but that stress is showing in some surprising ways.  One of the most unexpected side effects is a rise in bruxism, or teeth-grinding, when people sleep. 

Staying calm during the outbreak is a good idea in general, but it could help you protect your teeth too!

What is Bruxism?

Bruxism is a general term for people clenching their jaws when they sleep, causing their teeth to grind together throughout the night.  Since this means several hours of force on the teeth, every night, this can quickly do a lot of damage to the teeth!

There are a lot of possible causes of bruxism, and not all of them have been fully researched.  Stress was long believed to be a major factor causing teeth-grinding, but that seems to have been demonstrated in the last year.  Here at our practice, and at other New Jersey dentists we’ve talked to, there have been far more people showing signs of bruxism than in the past.

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It certainly seems to be linked to stress over COVID-19, and other stresses in the world today.

How Can Bruxism Be Prevented?

Generally speaking, the best cure is to de-stress.  As any holistic dentist knows, too much stress is terrible for the body in so many ways.  It raises blood pressure and puts people at more risk of heart disease or strokes.  It takes a mental toil as well, making people more irritable or prone to make bad judgement calls.

Plus, as discussed, it can damage your teeth as well.

If a patient can’t find ways to de-stress, dental specialists do have ways of reducing the harm caused by bruxism.  The most common solution is using mouth guards.  These are small pieces of plastic, custom molded to a person’s teeth, which they wear at night.  The guard adds a protective barrier that prevents the teeth from directly coming into contact with each other.

In more severe cases, medical intervention may be necessary.  For example, some patients may receive shots of botox into the muscles surrounding their jaw, to loosen those muscles and prevent clenching at night.

If you’ve been waking up in the morning feeling like your teeth hurt or finding tiny bits of tooth material in your mouth, you may be suffering from bruxism.  Contact your local New Jersey dentist for an appointment for further evaluation.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

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pink 4542043 1920October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and that’s a topic everyone should be aware of. As a holistic dental practice, we’re concerned about our patients’ whole-body health, not just oral health. Breast cancer is a major threat to women – and men – around the world, and we want to do our part to raise awareness of the problem.
In many ways, this year’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month is more important than most. Due to all the disruption from COVID-19 and various lockdowns around the world, a lot of people weren’t getting proper checkups and examinations in the past year. It’s likely some of them have already missed early warning signs of breast cancer, which would have been caught if they’d been able to go to their regular wellness appointments.

Why Is Breast Cancer Awareness So Important?
Breast cancer is by far the most common type of cancer. Estimates are that as many as 1 in 8 (12.5%) of women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lives. It’s expected that over 280,000 new cases will be diagnosed in America in 2021. By comparison, the next most-common type of cancer – colon cancer – will have less than half as many diagnoses.

Also, unlike some types of cancer which are caused by harmful behaviors, such as how smoking can cause lung cancer, breast cancer can strike almost anyone. Certain factors, such as family history, seem to play into a person’s susceptibility, but by and large, if a person develops breast cancer it’s through no fault of their own.

Breast cancer can also be fatal. Overall, it’s the second most fatal type of cancer among women, with approximately 1 in 39 women dying from it each year. However, survivability is closely tied to how early the cancer is detected. Most people who die of breast cancer actually die because the cancer spread from their breasts into their lymph nodes, or to other parts of their body. If breast cancer is detected early and has not spread, the odds of surviving are over 99% in the first five years.

This is why women should regularly receive check-ups and perform self-tests looking for lumps. The earlier breast cancer is detected, the more likely it is to be treatable. So, if you’ve been staying home and avoiding regular wellness checks, please visit your doctor. It truly could save your life.