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October 15, 2009

Stress Can Take A Toll On Your Teeth

Dentists are seeing the effects of the economic downturn on their patient's teeth. And the battle over health care reform isn't helping much either. During tough economic times, people may be looking at ways to cut back on expenses by reducing their bi-annual dental check-ups to once per year. After all, most people don't have dental or eye insurance.

Something else dentists are seeing, along with a reduction in their extra services such as teeth whitenings, is an increase in signs that their patients are grinding their teeth. Bruxism can lead to musculoskeletal pain, headaches, teeth sensitivity and even cracking. Think about this, normal chewing exerts 20 to 30 pounds per square inch on the tooth surface, but grinding your teeth can exert as much as 200 pounds per square inch. That coupled with up to 45 minutes of sustained biting can wreak havoc on the tooth and enamel.

More patients who are seeing their dentists for this problem are opting for night guards rather than the more expensive fix, veneers. Medical interventions include botox injections into the masseter muscle of the jaw. Dentists and doctors alike recommend stress management techniques and good sleep hygiene. So don't cut that massage therapy appointment out of your budget just yet.

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Posted by linda at October 15, 2009 3:23 PM