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The pandemic, with increased anxiety and stress also linked to social distancing and teleworking, could greatly undermine even the smile: in fact, there is a rise in anxiety and stress from Covid, there is a 30 % more requests for these braces for bruxism (grinding teeth during sleep) with cases of this disorder increased by 36%; Also, there is a 120% increase (more than double) compared to 2019 in dental fractures and a significant increase in cavities (+ 18%).
This is the alarm of the dentists of the Italian Society of Periodontology and Implantology (SIdP), launched on the occasion of the Perio 2020 National Congress. The data comes from the USA, “But the trend of an increase in bruxism and requests for bites, it can also be estimated in Italy “, says Luca Landi, president of the SIdP.
And that’s not all: bruxism, consuming the teeth, could make the most serious cases of periodontitis critical (gum disease that weakens the tension of the teeth). In fact, cases of dental fractures and gingival complications are increasing.
“After the confinement we registered a worsening of oral and periodontal conditions and the complication of dental fractures is among the most frequent – observes Landi. The problem, in addition to the lack of controls and poor oral hygiene, is also attributable to the greater anxiety caused by social distancing. Many people in fact tend to somatize discomfort and stress in the oral cavity, with behaviors such as bruxism or clenching the teeth that in the long run can deteriorate the dental surface and cause fractures, pain in the jaw, tooth sensitivity, migraine and increased mobility of teeth in patients with more severe periodontitis “. Adding to these conditions is the stress of smart work, which can increase when work hours are extended and there are no more breaks, Landi continues.
Tammy Chen, a New York dentist among the first to report an increase in dental fractures among her patients, recently told the New York Times that with the pandemic, at least one patient with a tooth comes to her office every day. Broken. “Even in Italy, compared to last year, dental fractures and periodontal complications seem to have increased – specifies Landi. One of the most recommended remedies is the bite: a mouth guard that prevents tooth wear ”.
“Bruxism – he explains – is not a negligible problem: under normal conditions the teeth only touch when chewing or swallowing; Normally, therefore, the teeth do not come into contact for more than 20 minutes a day, in bruxism the teeth are in contact even for 6 to 8 hours a day, which means that in terms of tooth consumption a week as a bruxist is equivalent to about 4 months for an individual without ailment. Obviously in the most serious cases ”.
When the patient is more susceptible to stress and occlusal loading, the mobility of the teeth must also be kept under control, says Landi. If more than 50% of the periodontal support has been lost, and if there are less than 20 teeth left, unfortunately it is not enough to go to the hygienist every 6 months, he concludes.
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