DO YOU HAVE ‘MASK MOUTH’ YET?
‘Mask mouth’ is a seriously stinky side effect of wearing masks
Dentists say that “mask mouth’ is an issue.
It’s a new oral hygiene issue caused by wearing a mask all the time to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Dentists have noticed that since the mask mandate has been put into place, it’s leading to all kinds of dental disasters like decaying teeth, receding gum lines and seriously bad breath.
One dentist based in Manhattan says “About 50% of our patients are being impacted by this, [so] we decided to name it ‘mask mouth’ — after ‘meth mouth.’ ”
The term “meth mouth” is widely used by dentists to describe the dental problems that arise among methamphetamine users.
People are coming in with problems in their mouth that they’ve never had before due to the masks.
The dentist says that “meth mouth” is worse than “mask mouth,” however if left untreated, the results could be equally harmful.
“Gum disease — or periodontal disease — will eventually lead to strokes and an increased risk of heart attacks,” says Dr. Marc Sclafani, another co-founder of One Manhattan Dental, who was interviewed by nypost.com.
Wearing a mask constantly increases the dryness of the mouth and buildup of bad bacteria.
“The mouth breathing is causing the dry mouth, which leads to a decrease in saliva — and saliva is what fights the bacteria and cleanses your teeth.”
The dentist says that “saliva is also what neutralizes acid in the mouth and helps prevent tooth decay and gum disease.”
There are things you can do to help the situation since the mask mandate is here to stay for a long time. Drink more water, cut down on caffeine, use alcohol-free mouthwash, scrape your tongue, and don’t smoke.
