A dentist has agreed that stress could be behind excessive tooth grinding and has suggested ways to prevent it that could avoid a need for emergency dentistry.
Todd Higginbotham, who runs a dental practice in Arizona, told KAIT8 worries about the recession may be leading to more cases of bruxism.
However, he said wearing a night guard on the teeth could avoid them breaking if the problem is especially bad.
As a preventative measure, he also recommended doing exercise to reduce muscle tension and avoiding caffeine late at night to reduce the likelihood of clenching.
Mr Higginbotham said it may be wise to see a dentist if bruxism has already caused damage.
Earlier this month, Dr Sultan Sherzoy from New Jersey said headaches, neck pain and broken teeth are often symptoms of grinding and said dental implants may be needed in extreme cases.
These are false teeth supported by a titanium metal rod inserted into the jawbone which can solve the problem of missing teeth.
