There are many forms of anxiety, including disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and panic disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Anxiety disorders affect 40 million Americans.
Tel Aviv University researchers recently published a study in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation linking anxiety experienced in social situations to elevated risk of bruxism - teeth grinding - which causes tooth wear, fractures and jaw pain.
"This is not a dental problem, but one with clear dental consequences," said Ephraim Winocur of the Department of Oral Rehabilitation at TAU's School of Dental Medicine, according to a press release. "If we are aware, then we can bring it into consciousness. Psychiatrists can identify patients predisposed to bruxism and can try to help prevent it, and dental experts will immediately know what to treat."
The researchers assessed 75 men and women in their early 30s using questionnaires. One group of 40 people had social phobia, characterized by excessive fear in social situations. Just under half of the group members were on antidepressant drugs - selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). A control group of 35 did not have social phobia. All the subjects underwent psychiatric and dental exams. Bruxism symptoms and oral habits, such as gum chewing, nail biting, and small jaw movements with no tooth contact ("jaw play"), were all assessed.
Although antidepressant drugs have previously been linked to bruxism, this study found no association. However, moderate-to-severe dental wear was found in 42.1 percent of the social phobia subjects and 28.6 percent of controls. The rate of jaw play was 32.5 percent in the phobia group and 12.1 percent in controls. Symptoms of awake bruxism were reported by 42.5 percent of social phobia patients and by 3 percent of controls.
"Interaction with people seems to be necessary to trigger bruxism in socially anxious people," Winocur said, according to the press release. "By treating social anxiety, we will be able to treat bruxism as well."
