When we think of poor quality sleep, we probably think that it is due to stress, the bed being too uncomfortable, or the weather being too hot.
It could be all, of course, but in a surprising number of instances, poor oral health can affect our sleep and potentially those who sleep in the same bed, sometimes even in other rooms of the house!
What few may realize is that it is not just external factors that can deprive us of quality sleep, but sometimes our oral health as well. We hope our patients will find this blog interesting, and if you think any of the issues mentioned may be affecting you, please remember that we are here to help.
Snore
Anyone who snores may sleep heavily and for long periods of time, but sleep quality may be quite poor. No one sharing the bed will almost certainly get a good night’s sleep either. There are a number of possible causes of snoring, some of which can be detected during a dental exam.
Dentists may sometimes notice problems such as a high palate or enlarged tonsils when performing a check-up. Treating these conditions can make your snoring easier or even stop it and help you get a better night’s sleep.
Bruxism
This is probably more familiar to our readers, and unfortunately it’s one that some of them probably suffer from as well. Bruxism is another term for teeth grinding, and it often happens while we sleep. As you can imagine, grinding your teeth while sleeping is not conducive to quality sleep.
Bruxism is widely thought to be caused by stress and anxiety. While long-term solutions like lifestyle change or relaxation techniques can help you manage this problem, sometimes dentists can help. Special mouth guards can be provided to prevent teeth from grinding together, and of course we can also help restore teeth damaged by this process. Damaged or broken teeth can also be uncomfortable and any pain will definitely affect your sleep.
General Oral Health Issues
It goes without saying that in addition to the already broken teeth caused by bruxism, other common dental issues like tooth decay or gum disease can affect your sleep. If we have a painful or even slightly annoying toothache, it is almost inevitable that our sleep will be interrupted, even if it doesn’t really wake us up. Gum disease can cause irritation of the gums along with pain and other problems. If you have gum disease, it may be due to constant dry mouth at night, which can lead to gum disease, possibly causing you to wake up needing a drink and thus disturb your sleep even more.
This is an area where we can continually assist you. Ideally, you will attend regular six-month checkups where early signs of dental problems can be detected and treated before they get too far. If you haven’t been to the dentist for a while, or if you’re no longer going for checkups, we can still help restore affected teeth. Remember that the sooner you contact us, the faster we can treat you and also help prevent the problem from getting worse.
If you feel tired even after sleeping for what should be a long enough time, you should see your doctor to make sure there is no underlying condition causing it.
Ongoing oral care not only helps you have functional teeth and an attractive smile, but can also help you have a more restful night.