Do you snore? Or does your partner snore all night, making it impossible for you to have a good quality sleep? Did you know that snoring has much more to do than just bother you with the annoying sound? You might wake up in the morning only to feel sleepy throughout the day and no amount of coffee seems to work. Maybe it’s time you consulted a dentist! Yes, you read that right—a dentist.
More often than not, your snoring could be a result of what is called sleep apnea. It is a condition in which you’re breathing during sleep repeatedly stops and starts. This means you are out of breath every now and then while you sleep. You might find yourself waking in the middle of the night, gasping for air. Well, this happens because your body is not getting enough oxygen.
Sleep apnea and oral health
Do you feel embarrassed about your bad breath? Or do you find your gums bleeding often? What if you are told that all of this is connected? Yes, sleep apnea affects your oral health in ways you might not expect. To begin with, sleep apnea leaves your mouth dry because this condition forces you to breathe with your mouth instead of your nose. When your mouth remains open the whole night, you experience a loss of saliva, which plays a significant role in oral health. Lack of saliva due to sleep apnea takes a toll on your oral health as the flushing action of the saliva is reduced, hence creating a breeding ground for harmful bacteria.
Help is just a dentist’s appointment away!
Seeing a dentist could help protect you from the adverse effects of sleep apnea. A dentist will examine you and, based on your condition, provide you with a splint or anti-snoring appliance that is fabricated and made according to your measurements by a dental laboratory. In severe cases, you might need a sleep apnea device along with an ENT opinion. Based on your condition, the dentist might also suggest other corrective measures to get uninterrupted, quality sleep at night.
Along with following your dentist’s advice, make sure to stick to the good oral hygiene habits you learned as a kid. They’re key to getting that healthy smile. Brush your teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste and floss once a day to remove plaque and bacteria from your teeth and gums. To combat the issue of dry mouth, aim for a minimum of 8 glasses of water daily. And always keep a glass of water by your bedside. It is an absolute lifesaver if you wake up with a parched mouth in the middle of the night.
So, there you have the secret formula for a good night’s sleep, a confident smile, and an improved quality of life: see a dentist and practice good oral hygiene habits.
(The author Dr. Darshan Doshi, BDS, is a TMJ specialist, aesthetic dentist, implantologist at Beaming Smiles Dental Clinic.)
