Watch out for mask mouth
Dr. Preety Desai - Aug 05, 2021 - Columnists

Photo: The Canadian Press

We all know that daily mask wearing is going to be a part of our lives for the foreseeable future. While they are an effective way to reduce the expulsion of respiratory droplets responsible for the spread of COVID-19, they are not without adverse effects. “Mask mouth” is a collection of oral symptoms that occur as a result of wearing face coverings for extended periods.

Masks disrupt your normal breathing pattern, which is through the nose—both inspiration and expiration. The repercussions are a shallower nasal breathing or the addition of a mouth breathing pattern. This mouth breathing will dry out the saliva in your mouth, and this has serious repercussions. Saliva is a critical, protective mechanism against cavities, gum disease, bad breath and dehydrations.

Mask wearing results in less heat loss through the mouth. I know we are not dogs, but we do lose some heat through the  mouth. It was great during the cold weeks when we could keep our faces warm, but masks will increase in discomfort in  warmer temperatures.

Health-care workers wearing N95s for extensive periods are at risk for lower oxygen exchange but only because we wear  masks all day. These symptoms can lead to headaches and a more acidic mouth, which make the bad bacteria grow faster in the mouth.

Symptoms of mask mouth include bad breath, dry mouth, bleeding gums, cavities, mouth sores and exacerbation of dental abscesses. An increase in body temperature can also occur.

How do you mitigate mask mouth?

• Practise deep breathing before and after wearing your mask for six-second intervals. This will slow the obvious rapid breathing that can occur after putting your mask on.
• Train yourself to slow down your breathing through your nose and take full breaths.
• Take regular breaks from your mask if you are out and about on a number of errands, like taking it off as soon as you leave the store.
• Stay hydrated.
• Wash your mask EVERY day or wear a new disposable mask every time.
• Protect your face and lips from abrasion or dehydration with moisturizers and lip balm.
• Avoid eating snacks while mask wearing. As challenging as that may sound, I have seen it! This will increase your caries  rate because your mouth is more acidic and drier.

If you have developed bad breath from mask mouth and it remains, it’s no longer mask mouth. Don’t ignore it. Mask mouth has been the number one reason dentists are seeing bigger and more problems since this pandemic started.

Remember, we dentists have worn masks right from the beginning of our first year of dental school, so we know what we are talking about.

Dr. Preety Desai is a laster implant periodontal specialist at Kamloops Periodontist who has called Kamloops home for 24 years. She graduated dentistry from McGill University and completed residency at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, treating medically compromised children. She was in private practice for 3 years in Toronto and in public health, treating new immigrants, the aged and disabled. She also spent many months in Northern Ontario providing dentistry on First Nations reserves. Dr Desai then moved to BC to specialize in Periodontics at UBC. Dr. Desai and her husband loved BC so much that they settled in Kamloops to raise their family and enjoy the best quality of life. She can be reached at 778.471.6001 or by visiting www.kamloopsperiodontist.com.


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