A dentist in Midland says his practice and the dental industry as a whole are hurting because of the COVID-19 pandemic, with patients putting off treatments and dental assistants who must stay home to care for their children not in school.

Dental practices are also losing money.

“My practice has so far lost roughly 1,000 hours of patient contact as a result of the shutdowns imposed on the dental industry,” Dr. Christopher Wilson was quoted on a dental industry brief.

Postponing dental treatments leads to active tooth disease from cavities to oral cancer and more serious complications, Wilson said.

Wilson estimated the pandemic shutdown has cost his dental practice more than $300,000 in revenue. In addition, the requirements to add virus cleaning upgrades in the office and the use of protective masks and gear (PPEs), have meant costs that are passed on to customers, an average $10 to $20 per appointment.

Because of the closing of Texas schools, Wilson said he lost two of his assistants who have to stay home to care for their children.

“I have been forced to cancel treatment of patients due to a lack of available staff,” he said.

The dental industry brief said the necessity to wear masks is also contributing to dental disease including bacterial and plaque buildup. Approximately 50% of patients in some practices have experienced a downturn in the health of their teeth and gums, the report said.

Anxiety over the pandemic has led to a malady called “bruxism,” the habitual nervous grinding of teeth that causes tooth fractures and other problems. Wilson said he had recently sent five patients to have root canals or extractions performed because of such tooth-grinding behavior in the past two weeks alone.

The report noted that anxiety problems also contribute to debilitating head, neck and jaw pain and that the use of respirator masks to treat the virus also causes acute discomfort and headaches.