According to a recent report by the American Dental Association, the vast majority of dentists indicate that the prevalence of stress-related oral health conditions among their respective patients has increased since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. These results come from a tracking poll conducted the week of Feb. 15, 2021.
According to the survey, more than 70% of dentists saw an increase of patients experiencing teeth grinding and clenching, conditions often associated with stress. These conditions have increased from just under 60% in the fall of 2020. In specific terms, 71% of dentists surveyed reported an increase in teeth grinding and clenching; 63% saw an increase in chipped and cracked teeth; and 62% saw an increase in temporomandibular joint disorder symptoms, which includes headaches and jaw pain.
“These increases in stress-related dental conditions are correlated to pandemic stress,” said James Madigan, CEO of CostaRicaDentalGuide.com. “The increase in these stress-related dental conditions since the onset of COVID-19 is an indicator of the pandemic’s effect on our oral health.”
A solution may be found in dental tourism.
“Nothing reduces stress quite like a vacation,” says Madigan. “The dual problem of pandemic stress and the resulting stress-related dental conditions among American patients has a simple solution. Patients in need of a vacation and dental care can combine them with a dental vacation to one of the leading dental tourism…
