The Most Common Problems Dentists Are Seeing Because Of The Pandemic

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people avoided the dentist unless there was a real emergency (in fact, this is still the case for many). People have been afraid of the possibility of encountering COVID in public spaces — and, in the case of the dentist, afraid of having to take off their mask for their appointment.

However, now that we’re armed with booster shots and other treatments, many are starting to return to the dentist after some time away. But they’re showing up with problems that are often a result of missed dental exams and cleanings.

Tons of patients are playing catch-up after skipping the dentist for a long period of time, said Dr. Richard M. Lipari, a dentist at Lipari & Mangiameli Dentistry in New York. Others are dealing with routine dental issues that stem either from the pandemic or from problems they’ve been dealing with for years.

Here, dentists share the most common dental issues they’re seeing now:

Between the pandemic, a potential recession and political turmoil (among plenty of other things), we are living through stressful times. And one of the ways our bodies respond to stress is through bruxing, or teeth grinding, said Dr. Albert Coombs, owner of Smile Services DC and a member of the International Dental Implant Association. This is one of the biggest problems dentists have seen recently.

When you grind your teeth, you break down the enamel and create vertical or horizontal fractions in the tooth. “Depending on the type of fractures, we can do a large filling, a root canal or even have to remove the tooth because it was just that far damaged,” Coombs said.

It’s important to treat the grinding itself ― not just the problems, like tooth fractures, that result. “If we are not treating the bruxism, the tooth is just going to get re-damaged,” Coombs said. “If it broke a healthy tooth, it will break a tooth with a filling in it, it will break a root canal and it will even damage an implant.”

Treatments for grinding your teeth can include wearing a mouthguard at night, getting Botox and having a healthy plan for stress management.

“We’re seeing a higher rate of cavities, and we think a lot of it has to do with the lifestyle change for people,” Lipari said. That pandemic-induced shift has to do with more hours at home, with full access to your fridge and pantry.

“I think we’re finding people are snacking a bit more, especially on foods that maybe they weren’t eating…