This week what's going around isn't your typical run-of-the-mill bugs, although mosquitoes do seem to be out in full force these days. It appears the stress of this recession is wreaking havoc on our teeth.

Recession stress is apparently taking a big toll on the nation's teeth. Medical experts say the number of people who grind their teeth has risen sharply since the downturn of the economy. It makes sense when you consider that so many people have lost their jobs or lost a giant chunk of their savings in the stock market and it's bound to cause clenching even when you don't know you are doing it.

A restful night's sleep isn't as easy as it used to be. One dentist in Florida recently reported that people don't have cavities anymore. Instead, they are losing their teeth by wearing them down and cracking them. It's become a huge problem and for some people they are unaware that the earaches and headache pain they are suffering with are related to grinding their teeth.

The symptoms are usually accompanied by an aching jaw muscle and tooth sensitivity. In extreme cases of overnight clenching, it may be hard to open your mouth in the morning.

Wearing a night mouth guard won't cure it, but it will help reduce the damage done to your teeth and it will help relax the jaw muscles.

Since stress is typically the culprit for most teeth grinding, the experts say the only way to cure it is to reduce the stress in your life. You may want to try using exercise, meditation and/or therapy.