While everybody is focused on COVID-19, there is another pandemic currently unfolding. It’s called bruxism, a habitual jaw-clenching, teeth-grinding malady, writes Melissa Jacobs for Main Line Today.

Many people handle stress by grinding their teeth. Bruxism can happen when we are awake, but it can be significantly more damaging while we sleep.

While it is more common in children and younger adults, local dentists have noticed an epidemic of bruxism in adults over the past 15 months. What they are noticing is the side effects: chipped and broken teeth, jaw pain, and neck pain, among others.

This rise in symptoms directly corresponds to the pandemic. At the start of COVID-19, Dr. David Stall, a dental practitioner based in West Chester, was one of the few available dentists for emergencies. He saw an increase in presented symptoms related to patients routinely putting 250 pounds of pressure on their teeth. Often, they were unaware they were even doing it.

“I got patients from this region and as far away as Delaware and Scranton,” he said.

The situation reached critical levels by the time dental practices reopened in June. Since then, things have improved, but only marginally.

“We’re seeing people with chipped, fractured teeth,” said Dr. Rohini Bhatia of Chester County Prosthodontics, which is based in West Chester. “We’re seeing a lot of teeth that are totally shot — beyond repair.”

Read more about bruxism in Main Line Today.