How To Help Avoid A Dental Emergency

It’s safe to say that the past months have been challenging for us all. The way we have been living is unlike anything we have experienced during our lifetime up until this point. Staying at home for months at a time, working from home, virtual learning, holiday celebrations cancelled, among many other adjustments are adding stress to all of our lives. Even if you have not personally been affected by the virus, the effects of the situation are leaving lasting impressions on your daily lives. Our office is seeing a rise in dental emergency cases relating to the current situation, and the reason may surprise you. Continue reading to learn how to save your teeth during the pandemic.

A recent article from The Washington Post lists the many reasons medical professionals throughout the field are seeing an uptick in issues with patients who have been staying at home to avoid contracting the virus. Our office is no exception, as we have been seeing more cases than ever before of patients suffering from fractured and unrestorable teeth. In many circumstances, this is due to teeth grinding, which is an unusual occurrence in many of our patients. Many of the clenching and grinding cases we have been seeing are stress related.

Another issue that is currently on the uprise for patients in our office is muscular, facial, and jaw discomfort. These are all issues related to temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMD, which is discomfort associated with the jaw and the joint connecting your jaw to your skull. One of the main causes of TMD flare-ups are stress related issues. During this time, it is important to remember a few tips:

• Be sure to stretch and relax your facial muscles
• Avoid clenching your teeth
• Limit caffeine
• Eat more soft foods and reduce the amount of chewy and tough foods
• Visit our office to discuss other options such as a nighttime bite appliance

We understand that there is some nervousness and hesitation when resuming activities, such as visiting our office for your routine dental care. We want to assure you that we have taken additional precautions for the safety of our patients as well as our staff. Please reach out to our office, and our staff can answer any questions about our safety protocols and procedures. 

We are including two articles that further discuss the stress related damage being seen and important safety information:

The pandemic isn’t ending anytime soon. And our bodies are feeling the stress.

Dentistry is completely safe with enhanced infection control: Results of a new multicenter study

If you are in need of a routine hygiene visit or are concerned that you are suffering from effects of grinding, damaged teeth, or TMD, please contact our office located in Fort Lee, NJ. We are here to keep your teeth and your body safe.