The last two years have been tough on our teeth, too

If you ever wondered if regular dental care makes a difference in your oral health, the answer is a resounding “yes.”

Dentists are seeing more problems brought on by missed and never-scheduled appointments over the past two years.

Dental care delayed; surge in needed care is next

A major national survey found that millions of American adults delayed dental care because of one or more concerns, including:

• cost of care
• risk of exposure to the virus
• lack of insurance

To make matters worse, millions of adults lost their dental insurance because of COVID-19-related job losses or a change in their benefits. Half of this group is now experiencing teeth, gum and other mouth issues.

What does that mean for dental care providers across the country?

They could see a surge in oral disease among adults. And that has the potential to further strain the health care system because of poor oral health’s tie to poor overall health.

What dentists are seeing — and why

Dentists are seeing more major oral health issues such as gum disease, cracked teeth and painful jaws. One dentist said the patients he sees need “a ton of work.”

• Gum disease
• Dentists are reporting more cavities and gum disease. Patients have more plaque buildup on their teeth than usual. And others are experiencing gum problems such as inflammation, soreness, redness and bleeding.
• Why:
• Postponed cleanings didn’t help, but it’s not like we stopped brushing. So why the dirtier teeth and gum issues?
• Chalk it up to the ripple effect of the pandemic.
• The rhythm of our lives was interrupted. That — and the related stress — made it easier for good routines and habits like brushing and flossing to slip.
• At the same time, social get-togethers decreased, isolation increased, and some people’s diets may have changed for the worse.
• An endodontist (a dentist who specializes in complex or painful teeth issues) offers this advice: “You really need to go get your teeth cleaned.”
• Broken and cracked teeth, and sore jaws
• Dentists are also seeing a spike in the number of cracked teeth and other stress-related oral health conditions.
• According to some dentists and the American Dental Association (ADA), people are grinding and clenching their teeth more, resulting in more chipped and cracked teeth. Another dentist said, “Even their bite guards are fracturing.”
• This clenching can also result in jaw muscle and joint pain, symptoms of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction.
• Why:
• Some people clench their teeth when they’re stressed.
• While chipped and broken teeth can happen at any time, especially as we age, stress is the likely culprit for these numbers:
• In an ADA poll of dentists, nearly 70% said they saw an increase in patients grinding and clenching their teeth. And 63% said they saw more patients with chipped and cracked teeth — all conditions often associated with stress.

Putting off routine checkups and cleanings, or avoiding the dentist when you’re in pain, hoping it will go away, are losing propositions. The more time that passes with no dental care, the more expensive the repairs, with greater risk of permanent damage.

If it’s been a while since you’ve been to the dentist, make your appointment today.