(CNN)Shingles, maskne, migraines and quarantine fatigue: The stress of the pandemic has manifested in a variety of physical ailments. The latest evidence of this is a rise in cracked teeth.
"We have seen an increasing amount of fractured teeth in probably the past six months," said Dr. Paul Koshgerian, an oral surgeon with The Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Specialists of San Diego.
For Koshgerian's office, before the pandemic, treating one cracked tooth per day or every other day was normal. These days, two visits per day for fractured teeth have been the norm; on the worst days, he might see five cases.
Derek Peek — leader of Eastern Iowa Endodontics and diplomate of the American Board of Endodontics — found that in August and September, his office had already treated twice as many cracked teeth in comparison to those respective months last year, even with fewer patients this year.
Covid-19 doesn't make teeth more fragile, but the "anxiety that surrounds everything that's going on — Covid, the rioting, the protesting, the looting (and) the general state of the country — has gotten everybody's thermostat dialed up a couple notches," Koshgerian said.
"In the oral surgery or dental realm, often that translates to people bruxing their teeth," he added, describing the condition in which people involuntarily gnash, grind or clench their teeth. Bruxing can damage fillings or crowns, or crack teeth.
When to call your dentist
Symptoms of bruxism include pain when teeth are together and/or brushed, swelling indicative of infection, lingering pain and/or cold or broken pieces of teeth, Peek said. If the sides of your face feel sore when you awaken, you might be grinding your teeth at night, Koshgerian said.
"Also, if people have partners," he added, "oftentimes the partners are the ones that tell the patient themselves that clenching is happening because it's audible to the person that may be sleeping or cohabitating with the person."
If you're experiencing symptoms, calling your dentist early on — before the problem worsens — is best. There are ways to safely attend an appointment, since offices have implemented safety precautions like social distancing and screening during the pandemic.
If a tooth "is considered non-salvageable by the dentist, oftentimes it's referred to an oral surgeon for treatment," Koshgerian said.
Treating cracked teeth
When you visit an oral surgeon's office, Koshgerian said, she'll take X-rays to visualize your mouth, but will also take your oral history to pinpoint any underlying issues.
Previous dental work can make teeth become more prone to fracture or breaking. Car accidents, chewing popcorn seeds or some other event may crack teeth — but in the absence of that knowledge, bruxism might have caused the injury.
The treatment hinges mostly on how the tooth structurally broke, made clear by understanding a little odontology 101:
- The crown of a tooth is the visible part.
- The root anchors each tooth into the bone of the jaw.
- Enamel covers the crown.
- Underneath enamel is dentin, which makes up the body of the tooth, both the crown and the root.
- At the core is a hollow chamber called the pulp, where the nerve and b