Ever woken up in the middle of the night unable to breathe freely? Or with jaw pain?
Sleep quality & oral health are actually more closely linked than you may think.
Factors Affecting Sleep Quality
The most obvious way that your teeth can affect your sleep quality is if you suffer from tooth pain. The discomfort that comes from toothaches, cavities, abscesses, or other dental conditions can make it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep.
One such condition is teeth grinding—also known as bruxism—which is when you clench or grind your teeth. It can happen when awake or asleep, but it’s harder to moderate when asleep given one’s lack of consciousness. Doing this consistently can lead to flattened teeth, a sore jaw & even headaches. As you clench down, your teeth are placed under large amounts of pressure that permanently wear away enamel. If enamel is worn down enough, this risks affecting the root of the tooth, which is where all the most painful dental experiences occur.
Gapped or crowded teeth can also affect your sleep quality. Gaps in your teeth can be an indication of having tongue thrusts (also known as a reverse swallow). As you swallow or speak, your tongue may push against your teeth & cause them to be pushed outwards & forwards. Meanwhile, crowded teeth are often the result of a small jaw that does not allow enough space for teeth to grow in properly. Both of these misalignments in your mouth can lead to obstructions in your airway, preventing air from flowing freely into your lungs during sleep. This can result in snoring, breathing pauses & waking up multiple times a night.
The culmination of a blocked airway & the continuous interruption of breathing is a condition known as sleep apnea.
Solutions
So are we doomed to permanently being sleep zombies if we face any of these struggles? Fortunately not, as the dental industry has developed a variety of tools & procedures to help address each of these issues.
For general toothaches or cavities, schedule an appointment with your local dentist to help ease your pain & get procedures like a filling or root canal, as needed.
For bruxism, you can do jaw exercises to be more mindful of your resting jaw position & use a mouth guard to prevent any tooth damage due to grinding & clenching.
For crowded or gapped teeth, look into braces or teeth straightening procedures to help your jaw sit properly & thus increase your airway, allowing breathing to flow freely.
Finally, for sleep apnea, there are many devices & treatments available. Options include a Jaw Advancement Device (JAD) that moves your jaw forward to increase your airway, a tongue retaining device that holds your tongue in place as you sleep, a CPAP machine that delivers continuous air through your mouth or nose, or Nightlase Therapy that gently tightens soft tissue in your mouth to help make breathing easier.
As always though, consult your dentist for your specific circumstances. A regular cleaning is also helpful in maintaining tiptop oral health, ensuring that you can catch some of these issues before they arise into larger problems.
Sources
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/4-ways-your-teeth-can-affect-your-sleep_b_10129190
https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/bruxism#:~:text=Bruxism%20is%20a%20condition%20where,sleep%20has%20been%20studied%20more.
https://smile2impress.com/us/blog/crowded-teeth-how-to-fix
https://www.horizondentalcaregj.com/how-your-teeth-can-impact-your-sleep/#:~:text=Conclusion-,Your%20oral%20health%20can%20have%20a%20significant%20impact%20on%20your,%2C%20insomnia%2C%20and%20daytime%20fatigue.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6546276/#:~:text=A%20history%20of%20orthodontics%2C%20missing,and%20reports%20of%20poor%20sleep.
https://www.glaciercreekdental.com/the-link-between-dental-problems-and-sleep-disorders/#:~:text=There%20are%20a%20number%20of,problems%20can%20also%20cause%20snoring.
https://www.fotona.com/en/treatments/2039/nightlase-r/
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22043-cpap-machine