02/03/2010
Anxiety and stress on the rise as bruxism cases increase
by William Hobson
Stress and anxiety over the recession are causing more and more people to grind their teeth in their sleep, according to a report in The Daily Mail.
The Mail reports that dentists across the UK have seen an increase in the number of patients suffering from bruxism since the start of the economic recession. Bruxism is the medical term for the condition where people grind their teeth unconsciously, usually during sleep.
Often Bruxism is caused by underlying stress and anxiety. Although corrective medical treatments such as bite guards or botox injections can alleviate the symptoms, the British Dental Health Foundation (BDHF) guidelines state that the best means of curing the condition is to use corrective exercises or take part in relaxation therapy to overcome the underlying anxiety. Hypnotherapy sessions, for example, would help the subconscious deal with the concerns behind the stress.
Speaking to the newspaper, Dr Maidment, an Edinburgh dentist, said that his surgery had seen a 10 to 20% increase in cases of bruxism over the past 18 months. He said that it was common among those who worked for banks or in the financial services, as well as those who needed to travel frequently.
"There's a lot of anxiety about redundancies that may be coming," said Dr Maidment, "and about job losses that have already happened.''
A spokesperson from the BHDF told The Mail that calls about bruxism had been increasing recently. They said: "Stress is probably the major reason - people not being able to cope with things going on in their work or love life, or having money worries.''
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