Dentists are one of the best medical professionals to identify whether someone is suffering from sleep apnea, which leaves many people to wonder what teeth and sleep apnea treatment have to do with each other. You might be surprised to discover just how much the two things intertwine and why a diagnosis of sleep apnea is critical to good oral health.
Understanding Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that causes the sufferer to stop breathing while asleep, sometimes for seconds, sometimes for well over a minute. It leaves people exhausted and baffled about why they just can’t get a good night of sleep.
Apnea is typically caused by an airway obstruction – the relaxing of excess tissues in the throat, the tonsils, or the tongue – and this blocked airway leads to severe snoring and breathing interruptions. Health problems are a side effect of apnea – anxiety, depression, headaches, high blood pressure, cardiac events – and, of course, there are oral health complications.
Recurring Tooth Decay
When someone has sleep apnea, they likely breathe through their mouth. This can lead to dry mouth and the lack of saliva eventually causes tooth decay. Recurring cavities and the need for tooth-colored fillings can often be an indication that a patient may have sleep apnea.
Gum Disease
Mouth sores and gingivitis are also complications for patients with sleep apnea. If gingivitis – the earliest stage of gum disease – is not treated and sleep apnea isn’t either, eventually full-blow periodontal disease will develop. This can lead to loose teeth and then lost teeth and a fully compromised mouth that is no longer comfortably functional or attractive.
Lower Bone Density Levels
The body is conditioned to renew itself during sleep, but lack of rest leads to inflammation in the body and triggers low oxygen levels which leads to negatively affected bone density, including the jawbone. Loose teeth can result and, if dental implants are ever a desired restorative dentistry treatment, bone grafts may be necessary to make this repair possible.
Teeth Grinding
Obstructive sleep apnea often leads to sleep bruxism – in the simplest terms, teeth grinding. As the muscles in the mouth work to try and open the narrowed airway caused by sleep apnea, teeth move together and wreak havoc over tooth enamel. An oral appliance for sleep apnea may help both problems, but sometimes a night guard and sleep apnea tools are both needed to combat these conditions.
Get Help for Oral Health Problems and Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is highly treatable, and so are all the oral health conditions noted here. All you have to do is see your Red Bank dentist about your concerns. If you keep up with visits to your dentist for teeth cleanings and checkups every six months, she will recognize oral health problems and may even notice that they add up to form a cluster of sleep apnea side effects.
If you are concerned that you have sleep apnea, visit Dr. Carole Sherrod Jewell at Red Bank Dentistry for help. Schedule a consultation.
