“Mask Mouth”: Dentists Coin New Term for Smelly Side Effect of Wearing a Mask

Wearing a mask all the time is creating new dental issues for some people. Dr. Rob Ramondi, a dentist and co-found of One Manhattan Dental explains, “We’re seeing inflammation in people’s gums that have been healthy forever, and cavities in people who have never had them before. About 50% of our patients are being impacted by this, [so] we decided to name it ‘mask mouth’- after ‘meth mouth.’” The issue is that when wearing a mask, people tend to breathe through their mouths rather than their nose, which causes dry mouth, which then sets the stage for tooth decay and gum disease to start. The fact that people tend to drink less water while wearing a mask, and that people are tending to drink more coffee and alcohol during lockdown is adding to the issue. However, dentists say there is a bright side—patients who might otherwise neglect their dental health during the pandemic are coming in due to their stinky breath. Here’s the complete story from Fox News.