The arrival of COVID-19 in the Wuhan region of China towards the end of 2019 set into action a chain of events that would lead to the people of the world facing quarantine and lockdown conditions. In the majority of cases, the people of the world are facing the issue of wearing masks to cover their faces and limit the rate of transmission for COVID-19. The Miami Herald reports the World Health Organization has recommended the majority of people avoid non-essential oral healthcare leading to a problem that many dentists are referring to as “Mask Mouth”. Many dentists are seeing rising problems based on several factors linked to not cleaning our teeth enough and the way we are living during the lockdown.
A Change in the way we are Living
The biggest change that has been caused by the arrival of COVID-19 in our lives is the need to wear facemasks and coverings throughout each day. Frank Roach dentist believes this is hurting the oral health of many people around the U.S. and the wider world. Dr. Roach believes the use of facemasks is harming our oral health in a way that a large amount of brushing will not change.
“Mask Mouth” has been spotted by many dentists with Frank Roach dentist in Atlanta believing the biggest cause for concern when wearing a mask is that of dryness affecting the way our teeth and mouth feels. The New York Post states the use of face masks changes the way we breathe when we are going about our daily life. Instead of breathing through our noses, we tend to open our mouths and breathe through our mouth when wearing a mask because we are struggling to gasp for air when exercising or in a warm environment.
Bad Breath is a Problem
When you are wearing a mask there is a tendency to not take part in the daily oral health regime most of us tend to take part in. This is a phenomenon that dental professionals, such as Frank Roach, are shocked by because these problems are leading to dangerous dental issues for many people. ABC 13 reports the failure to brush our teeth is being caused by a feeling that there is little need to do so because we are wearing masks to cover our mouths each day.
Instead of chewing gum combined with flossing and brushing our teeth, the majority of people have spent their isolation periods not being concerned about the use of their toothbrush. Bad breath is a problem that sneaks up on many people, but this is not an issue that should be ignored because it can be a sign of major tooth issues lasing into the long-term. Most dentists explain the issue of bad breath is one of the last we identify after tooth decay and gum disease has already caused their problems. Once the bad breath is a problem we will begin to brush our teeth because we are feeling there is a problem that needs to be addressed in our oral hygiene regime.
Dry Mouth Leads to More Brushing
One of the most important aspects of oral health is to make sure you are keeping your mouth as damp as possible with saliva causing the acid buildup in our mouths to disappear. The dry mouth that is being identified by dental specialists around the U.S. during the COVID-19 outbreak is based on the problem of mouth breathing. However, we are also amid a hydration pandemic with less water being drunk regularly by mask wearers.
Fewer people are drinking the correct amount of water because they are unwilling to remove their facemasks in public. Another issue is the high levels of alcohol and coffee that are being drunk each day by those who are failing to handle the lockdown situation in a stable way. Working from home is changing the working habits of millions of people and leading to an unhealthy diet. The initial issue of an unhealthy mouth may not be identified but as the feeling of dehydration and bad breath combine most people begin to brush more.
There are many ways the use of face masks is causing problems for the people of the world with oral hygiene being one of the most important. Regular brushing could be more important than ever because of the dental issues that can be caused when face masks are work regularly.