Pandemic-related stress has meant more patients need help with temporomandibular joint disorders at one dental sleep medicine center.
n the April 2020 issue of Sleep Review, Sree Roy wrote, “One of the best analogies I’ve seen described sleep as a ‘shield’ against stress.” She quoted a University of Queensland professor who said, “When you don’t get enough sleep the shield cracks and you are more susceptible to stress.”
That certainly is evident in today’s patients. The unexpected, volatile, and life-changing COVID-19 pandemic has caused multiple problems, including ramifications and causality of a variety of medical problems that had been controlled or under the radar previously. In my dental sleep medicine practice, I have seen this in relation to obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and temporomandibular disorder (TMD).
