An increasing number of cases of teeth-grinding in debt-ridden Ireland were being blamed by dentists Wednesday on patients’ financial worries.
Dentists believe that the increased levels of bruxism — the medical name for teeth-grinding — are due to stress brought on by Ireland’s economic crisis.
Doctor Dermot Canavan of the Irish Dental Association says the condition is often linked to anxiety and stress, as well as excessive smoking, alcohol use and the consumption of too much coffee.
“While we don’t have exact figures I know from my own practice and from talking to other dentists that there has been a substantial increase in the number of patients suffering from this condition,” he said.
“From talking to patients it is clear many are facing severe financial pressures.”
Experts believe one in five people will grind their teeth at some time, most commonly at night, but dentists here say they are seeing numbers far in excess of that in many surgeries.
The symptoms of bruxism include headaches, tooth damage, earaches, and mouth and jaw pain.
Ireland’s economy has been hammered by the international financial crisis and the government has brought in a series of severe austerity budgets that have slashed spending and increased taxes.
The eurozone member had to seek an 85-billion-euro (112-billion-dollar) rescue package from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund as massive debt and deficit problems left the country on the verge of collapse.
Dublin, Dec 22, 2010 (AFP)
