Tight jaws in tough times lead to pain, expensive dentist bills
Here's another victim of the poor economy: whole teeth.
Local healthcare practitioners are seeing the dire real estate and job markets, lost pension plans, and other bad financial news reflected in their caseloads. Dentists can read the financial forecast in the X-rays of fractured teeth.
Dr. Dara Rogers said many of her 40- and 50-something patients think their teeth are breaking because of age, but the dentist traces the cause to the clenching of jaw muscles, known in the medical community as temporomandibular joint syndrome, or TMJ.
"There's definitely a rise in [TMJ] symptoms - clicking in the jaw, muscle soreness, headaches," said Rogers, a partner in the Swampscott-based Rogers & Rogers practice.
In this economy, particularly for middle-aged folks with families, there's a lot to clench about.
"I read a study that said women in the 40-55 age group are the biggest worriers" about finances, said Rogers. "That's the bulk of our practice, that age group."
Dr. Carl Engel, a chiropractor with a longtime practice in Rockport and Hamilton, has seen a shift in his patients' complaints.
"We're seeing a lot of stress-related headaches, neck pain working into the shoulder as well, and TMJ pain. . . . I'm getting a lot of people who say their jaw hurts," Engel said.
While his volume of patients hasn't changed substantially, Engel said, there have been changes in not just the type of visit, but also the type of visitor. For instance, Engel is seeing more senior citizens.
"Those are the people with stress from their pensions going way down, their 401ks going down," Engel said. "Those are the ones in their golden years, who've got that nest egg, and that nest egg was just cut in half."
Just as some might stretch a dollar by adding a week between visits to a barber or hair stylist, Engel said some of his patients stretch out or put aside their maintenance visits.
"I have some people who have lost their jobs, and when they lose their jobs they also lose their health insurance," said Engel, who recently began accepting state-subsidized MassHealth in addition to getting creative with payment plans to help reduce the sting for patients.
"You want to keep them going," Engel said. "Regularity is important."
He said one patient who suffered from headaches stopped coming in, turning instead to an over-the-counter pain remedy. "She spent four days in the hospital - she had an ulcer and was taking something like 3,500 milligrams a day," he said.
In the dental practice, too, Rogers noted that while her volume of business has remained consistent, there's been a shift in services.
"I have openings because people's insurance is canceled, and they're hoping to get job in month or so," Rogers said, also noting that her office is spending more time with functional dentistry and less on cosmetic dentistry.
"Those appointments tend to be filled by someone who wants to use up their benefits before they get laid off."
Geri Costanza of Marblehead, a massage therapist for 26 years, has noticed that her clients still keep their weekly appointments but may opt for a half-hour instead of an hour.
"They're still making it part of their health management," said Costanza, who is treating people with tension in the neck, jaw, shoulders, and other areas.
As part of health maintenance for people experiencing stress, Engel recommends preventative measures, including going to the gym or finding some other exercise program.
"Walking is a great stress reducer," Engel said, noting that many patients with the most stress also have little to no exercise in their lives.
Costanza has found that her clients - many of them baby boomers - are generally health-conscious, but are trying to find less costly exercise options, such as walking on a lunch break.
She had one client in his 80s who was having trouble with his knees and hips, and having difficulty finding an exercise routine.
"He wound up adopting a dog," she said. "He goes for two walks a day." 