Oral and Maxillofacial Stress-Related Disorders during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review of the Research

 Stress and anxiety are psychosocial factors that can have potential effects on oral health. In addition to concerns about physical health, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to psychological disorders (including stress) in the general population. Moreover, life has not returned to normal in most parts of the world. Therefore, physicians and specialists should pay special attention to the psychological effects of COVID-19 on the onset and exacerbation of oral diseases.

 A search was performed (last update in June 2021) in the Medline, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science databases. The related keywords were bruxism, morsicatio, myofascial pain dysfunction syndrome (MPDS), temporomandibular (TMD) disorder, burning mouth syndrome (BMS), xerostomia, recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), lip herpes, and oral lichen planus. Of the 510 papers found, about 206 were related to the subject, which were further analyzed. All study types, except case reports and case series, were included in the review.

 The current article reviewed stress-related disorders with clinical manifestations related to the oral cavity and maxillofacial disorders that have been significantly increasing during the COVID-19 pandemic. These disorders are bruxism, morsicatio, MPDS, TMD disorders, BMS, xerostomia, RAS, recurrent lip herpes, and oral lichen planus. The clinical manifestation and management of each disorder are presented in this article.

 It can be concluded that various causes and conditions play a role in the pathology, disease course, prognosis, treatment, and recurrence rate of oral diseases., In addition to examining the psychological background of treatment in the diagnosis and treatment stages, a variety of psychotherapy methods can be used to increase the effectiveness of medical treatments. The stress caused by COVID-19 in psychologically and medically susceptible people can intensify the pathology of these diseases in all its dimensions, and therefore, special attention should be paid to this aspect in the care and treatment of patients.