No question, during these tough economic times, patients are prone to fiddling with their teeth. Bad oral habits, like chewing on ice or pens, teeth grinding, and biting, increase with stress. It is incumbent on us as dentists to realize that there are two main categories for dental problems – bacterial (gum disease and tooth decay) and functional. A patient may have normal occlusal function or the more underrated parafunctional activity, which often occurs during mundane activities while awake or sleep.
During exams, dentists must look for signs such as tooth wear, mobility, and movement and instability that causes diastemas. Symptoms may include muscle pain, like temporal headaches, and excess force can also create TMJ problems. A through functional exam is key. If we see the problem, we can be conservative or develop a full-blown treatment plan to correct it.
3 responses so far ↓
1 Cosmetic Dentistry // Aug 20, 2009 at 2:36 pm
Very intriguing and helpful post. Do you think the/a dentist should provide resources and information concerning stress relief as well? Or should that be left entirely up to the patient?
2 Administrator // Aug 21, 2009 at 12:43 pm
It’s never a bad idea to provide reliable resources for patients. It makes you even more the expert!
3 Dentist Richmond Hill // Aug 29, 2009 at 6:24 pm
During these stressful times, I have noticed many more cracked teeth from teeth grinding.
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