Written By Kevin Kerfoot / Reviewed By Ray Spotts
Stress and anxiety experienced by the general population during Israel's first lockdown brought about a significant rise in orofacial and jaw pain, as well as jaw-clenching in the daytime and teeth-grinding at night, reports a study from Tel Aviv University (TAU) and published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine.
"We believe that our findings reflect the distress felt by the middle generation, who were cooped up at home with young children, without the usual help from grandparents, while also worrying about their elderly parents, facing financial problems and often required to work from home under trying conditions," says Dr. Alona Emodi-Perlman and Prof. Ilana Eli of TAU's Goldschleger School of Dental Medicine at TAU's Sackler Faculty of Medicine.
The research also found that women suffered more from these symptoms than men, and that 35- to 55-year-olds suffered most. The study examined questionnaires that assessed the presence and possible worsening of these symptoms in the general population during the first COVID-19 lockdown, due to the national emergency and rise in anxiety levels.
Emotional stress and bruxism
The general population exhibited a considerable rise in orofacial pain, as well as jaw clenching in the daytime and teeth grinding at night - physical symptoms often caused by stress and anxiety.
The prevalence of symptoms rose from about 35 percent pre-pandemic to 47 percent; the prevalence of jaw-clenching in the daytime rose from about 17 percent to 32 percent; and teeth-grinding at night rose from about 10 percent to 36 percent.
People who had suffered from these symptoms before the pandemic exhibited a rise of about 15 percent in their severity. Altogether a rise of 10 to 25 percent was recorded in these symptoms, which often reflect emotional stress. Comparing findings in Israel to results in Poland, the researchers found that probability of TMD and bruxism was much higher among respondents in Poland.
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Written By:
With over 30 years of writing and editing experience for newspapers, magazines and corporate communications, Kevin Kerfoot writes about natural health, nutrition, skincare and oral hygiene for Trusted Health Products’ natural health blog and newsletters.
Reviewed By:
Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.
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