Severe Covid Grind
For some people the Covid grind can be debilitating. The extreme grinding or bruxing of the teeth can be part of other issues that are going on with the person.
This includes the following:
- Poor neck and back posture
- Suffer from migraines
- Sleep apnoea
- Stress from unexpected changes in life (such as a pandemic)
This can cause large areas of muscle spasms:
- The side of the head due to spasm of the temporalis muscle (a jaw closing muscle)
- cramp of the cheek due to spasm of masseter and medial pterygoid muscles (also jaw closing muscles). This is also called trismus.
- The side of the neck stiffness due to the spasm of the sternocleidomastoid (side of neck) and trapezius (back of neck and upper shoulder) muscles.
Sometimes the bite can change so much from these muscles’ spasm, that they may not meet on one properly in a short amount of time. Cheeks and tongues have often been bitten; more casualties of the covid grind.
The teeth themselves can get very worn including fillings. This can not only weaken teeth but permanently change the bite and muscle co-ordination.
Treatment
This may involve a team effort:
- Dentist
- Physiotherapist
- Doctor
- Relaxation therapy
Need an Appointment?
If you’d like to book an appointment with the dentist at Seymour Dental then call us in Dulwich Hill, Sydney on (02) 9564 2397 or
contact us
Next week
Thank You Gillian, our Dental Student/Nurse