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To Your Health

TYH: Dentists seeing more stress grinding due to COVID-19

Apr 27, 2021 | 5:09 PM

PRINCE GEORGE- With the stress of the pandemic grinding away at our mental health, it’s also grinding away at our teeth according to dental professionals.

“That can be incredibly damaging to our teeth, it can be incredibly damaging to our dental work, and it can be incredibly damaging to your joint,” says Dr. Bruce Ward, spokesperson for the BC Dental Association.

Dr. Ward says people wake up in the morning and their joints are extremely sore and tired and that’s because they’ve been working their jaw all night long.

Most people who do this have no idea they’re actually doing it, primarily grinding at night sometimes for hours, which eventually wears down your teeth leading often to increased sensitivity, jaw pain, earaches, headaches, and even broken teeth.

The solution is simple, like a hockey mouthguard according to Dr. Ward, who says it’s always best to consult your dental professional if you think this may be a problem for you.

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