LE CLAIRE, Iowa — At LeClaire Family Dentistry in LeClaire, Iowa, Dr. Mike Stecher says he's seen a rise in patients grinding their teeth out of pandemic-born stress.
While he says there are many factors that contribute to teeth grinding and cracking, stress, especially when caused by the pandemic, has been the most common over the last few months.
"We have a lot of people coming in saying, 'Oh, I was grinding- I'm so stressed right now," he said. "I don't know if there's a direct correlation, but the biggest thing that everyone's attributing it to is Covid-19."
He says that any time a patient is feeling more stressed, they're more likely to grind their teeth and clench their jaw. That, combined with poor posture one might have while working from home, creates a lot of pressure on one's teeth.
"Everything's connected, especially your jaw and your neck. If you get tight in one area, it can cause things to not function as properly," said Dr. Stecher. "If you're constantly working with your head down, you're gonna be end to end on those end teeth- on those front teeth."
All of that grinding can lead to some serious problems, including headaches, tooth cracking, and muscle tension in the cheeks, jaw and temple.
"In the pandemic we've had a lot of people have kind of those muscle pains," explained Dr. Stecher. "It's all day long, because they're just sitting there, listening to the news and stressing."
He also says remote learning for children is causing problems. Both in the form of increased stress on the parents, but also in increased snack times for children, which he says has been leading to an increase in tooth decay for his younger patients.
For those currently staying away from the dentist due to health concerns, Dr. Stecher says the risk of long-term damage is heightened.
"Anytime you wait, things usually get bigger and get worse," he said. "A smaller problem gets bigger, you need a bigger filling, and the chances for problems later on become higher. And if you're delaying dental treatment, unfortunately, things only get bigger and more expensive to fix."
There are a few ways he says you can help take care of your tooth health during the pandemic. Regular checkups are vital, as well as being aware of one's posture and making an effort to unclench the jaw when it's noticeably tightening.
"Being mindful and noticing, 'Oh I'm, I'm chewing on my cheek. Oh, I'm, I've got my teeth forward and I'm grinding a little bit or I'm clenching my mouth.' It's being mindful, oop I'm doing it. I gotta stop doing it. Sit back up with good posture," he suggested.
And Dr. Stecher says his staff at LeClaire Family Dentistry have put in a lot of work to ensure the office is safe for all patients and staff who pass through. From regularly switching out PPE between patients, to routine sanitation between each appointment, to having patients wait in their cars rather than the waiting room, he says its worth it to schedule a dentist appointment.