COVID and anxiety: Do you recognize yourself?

Let's face it, many of us are living the present pandemic with anxiety, one of the risk factors associated with sleep disorders. The worry of contracting the virus, uncertainty about the future, or even simply our schedule being disrupted by confinement are all triggers.

In addition to affecting the quality of our sleep, by causing nightmares and insomnia for example, anxiety and stress can also promote the onset of bruxism, which is the grinding of your teeth.* During sleep, bruxism is characterized by repetitive or sustained contractions of the closing muscles of the jaw. Bruxism can be limited to teeth grinding only. In both cases, clenching your teeth causes several clinical manifestations, including:

• Generalized wear of the dentition
• Dental fractures
• Dental abfractions (loss of the hard tissue of the tooth, including tooth enamel and dentin)
• An acceleration of the loss of bone structure supporting the teeth
• Joint and/or nocturnal noises disturbing the household

As the sleeper is unconscious, it is impossible to keep them from grinding their teeth! Although there is no treatment to cure it, it is possible to reduce or relieve the symptoms by wearing an occlusal plate like the one you see here.

It comes in the form of an acrylic mouth guard that can be worn day or night, which prevents the upper and lower teeth from coming into contact. The jaw muscles can finally relax.

Have you been waking up with:

• A clenched jaw?
• A headache?
• Sensitive teeth?

If you think you have bruxism, our professionals can diagnose it by examining your dentition and jaw muscles. They can also provide recommendations and make a custom-made mouth guard for you. Don't wait for your dental problems to increase your anxiety levels tenfold.  Book an appointment while anti-pandemic measures still allow for consultations.

*Source: Mabouchensanté.com de l'Ordre des dentistes du Québec, Troubles et maladies: Le bruxisme [Online] https://www.maboucheensante.com/article/le-bruxisme/

(page consulted on September 23, 2020).