16 March 2021

---

ADA survey results: stress is taking a toll on patient teeth

Author: Katherine Pfaff

---

A recent survey by the American Dental Association’s (ADA) Health Policy Institute points to increased stress in patients. A large number of dentists surveyed (70%) reported an uptick in the number of patients with symptoms and teeth clenching and grinding. The survey also points to a continued increase, as the same metric of patients experiencing teeth grinding and clenching was reported by less than 60% of those surveyed in late 2020. 

At the same time, just over 60% of dentists shared they had seen more patients with cracked and chipped teeth as well as jaw pain and headaches associated with the temporomandibular joint disorder. These disorders are considered to be related to high levels of stress in patients. The survey did not significantly increase bad breath or dry mouth compared to surveys conducted before the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Sources:

MouthHealthy.org

https://www.ada.org/