SHELBYVILLE Ky. — A number of dentists across the Commonwealth are reporting a surge in cracked and fractured teeth during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

As patients return to the dental chair after long delays, dentists nationwide have noted seeing an increase in dental issues since reopening their offices.

Shelbyville based dentist Dr. Jeremy Fairbourn is with Fairbourn Family Dentistry. He said he started seeing more of it when he reopened his practice after being closed for nearly two months.

“Certainly fillings have increased in the last number of months. It’s a very real problem out there. It’s not just a dental problem, it’s reflected in dental issues but there’s other things that can be done to prevent that,” Fairbourn explained.

While there are a number of contributing factors to teeth grinding and cracking, stress — especially when caused by the pandemic —has been the most common over the last few months.

“There’s a lot more stress for all of us out there. When you see broken teeth and I’ve seen a number of them this week in fact, stress is something we all deal with,” Fairbourn said.

The American Dental Association said they saw a 59% increase in teeth grinding, a 55% increase in broken teeth and a 25% increase in cavities back in 2020.

“Folks that typically would’t clinch or grind at night are likely doing that because that’s what we do, we just tense up,” Fairbourn said.

According to Fairbourn, oral health plays a vital role in a person’s overall health and shouldn’t be ignored.

“It’s been very well proven that the mouth and oral health is key and interconnected with general health as well. When we take care of our mouth and our teeth then we’re going to have less of those risk factors to cause other issues around our mouth."

Petima Jones received her six month cleaning. She said working from home and worrying about her family getting sick is causing a lot of stress lately.

“We tend to slack on a lot of things and we just worry about the present but we also know what that stress does to our body,” Jones said.

The mother of four recently got braces put on and discovered she had been grinding her teeth. She’s not alone.

“I clinch more at night and it also has to do with the shifting of my teeth also, but naturally yes I actually have a night guard that I use to bite on. It’s stress and if it doesn’t wear out in your normal everyday life it acts out when you’re sleeping," explained Jones.

Oral health advocates recommend patients undertake some stress relief efforts before bed, including meditation.

For those currently holding off from going to the dentist due to safety concerns, dentists say the risk of long term damage is increased.

“The cost for a routine check up and cleaning is much much less than a crown or a root canal,” Fairbourn said.

He is encouraging Kentuckians not to skip out or postpone their regular cleaning and check-ups at the dentist due to safety concerns related to COVID-19.

Dental offices have very strict sanitation practices and like Fairbourn Family Dentistry, have put extra precautions in place.