How Are Sleep Apnea And Your Oral Health Connected?

You must have heard people connecting sound sleep to mental health. Have you ever heard them connect it with oral health?

Not many people know how your oral health is linked to sleep apnea. Only healthcare professionals, especially dentists, know this connection very well.

If you visit your dentist, they may ask about your sleeping habits and whether you sleep peacefully throughout the night. Do not get surprised when you are asked this question. Your oral health directly impacts your sleeping patterns.

In fact, dental professionals might be the first ones to give you a hint about your sleeping problem! Take their advice and look after your oral health to get a deep and healthy sleep.

If you suffer from sleep apnea, it may be due to poor oral health. Consult a dentist to confirm whether complications in your teeth, gums, or jaws are affecting your sleep.

If you live in Dubai and are looking for a trusted dental clinic in Dubai, Magnum Clinic has holistic care for you. Our dental professionals are trained in digital dentistry, helping you diagnose and treat various issues. Our dentists may have a solution if you have not slept well.

Before discussing the link between sleep apnea and oral health, let's briefly understand the condition.

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a sleeping disorder that doesn't allow you to breathe correctly while sleeping. It may cause you to stop breathing, disturbing your sleep.

Breathing is an involuntary action. It continues on its own when you sleep. Certain obstructions stop this involuntary action during sleep apnea, waking you up instantly.

Any blockage in your airway can cause sleep apnea. When your brain is informed about the lack of oxygen in your system, it automatically wakes you up to handle the matter. This reflex keeps interrupting your sleep. Sleep apnea may also impact your cardiovascular health if it lasts too long.

There are three major types of sleep apnea you can suffer from – obstructive, central, and mixed.

Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when your windpipe blocks smooth air movement. In most cases, this happens when your throat muscles relax too much. Poor oral health may also obstruct airflow in your windpipe, waking you up in the middle of the night.

Central sleep apnea involves your brain not sending the right signals to the muscles responsible for involuntary breathing. It occurs rarely and is not usually connected with your oral health.

We now know what sleep apnea is and how it is caused. Now, let us see how it is connected with your oral health.

Sleep Apnea And Your Oral Structure

Your oral structure can increase your risk of sleep apnea. Issues with this structure can block the airflow through your windpipe. The shape or alignment of your jaw may be the hurdle that leads to conditions like sleep apnea.

A small jaw is the most common connection between sleep apnea and oral structure. It is known by a condition called retrognathia.

When your jaw is small or receding, your tongue and other soft tissues return while you sleep. This may block the air's pathway in your windpipe, making it difficult for you to breathe while sleeping.

If you feel your jaw is too small and are looking for a clinic in Dubai to treat it, Magnum Clinic will diagnose your condition. Our dental experts will confirm any complications and provide the most suitable treatment.

You should also know that having a large tongue can cause sleep apnea. Large tongues may make you suffer from sleep apnea. Your tongue can make it difficult for the air to flow through your windpipe. This makes breathing difficult.

Sleep Apnea And Bruxism

If someone suffers from sleep apnea, they are likely to grind their teeth while sleeping. If you do so, you may not be conscious about it, just like breathing in your sleep. This can harm your oral health. Such a condition is also called bruxism or nighttime teeth grinding.

Healthcare professionals claim that people grind their teeth in sleep as a reflex action. It occurs when they cannot breathe, and the brain hasn't fully woken them up yet.

Such grinding negatively impacts oral health. It erodes enamel, which is the teeth's first line of defense. Prolonged teeth grinding exposes teeth to problems like cavities, sensitivities, decay, and more.

So, just like oral health can impact sleep apnea, the reverse can also be true. Sleep apnea makes you more likely to grind your teeth, risking oral health.

Getting your health checked and treated for your sleeping condition is best. A visit to Magnum Clinic can help you deal with problems like cavities, decays, and many more. All these problems are by-products of sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea And Mouth Breathing

What does your body do when it cannot breathe normally? You guessed it! It starts breathing from your mouth wide open. You must have woken up just to see yourself breathing through your mouth.

This is a common sleep apnea symptom and is connected with your oral health.

If you cannot breathe naturally, your body will automatically make you breathe through your mouth. You must have noticed your mouth wide open after waking up. Such mouth breathing is a common symptom of sleep apnea.

Breathing from your mouth due to sleep apnea can lead to a dry mouth. This condition is called xerostomia and can harm your oral health.

When your mouth stays open long, it reduces saliva production. Your mouth needs sufficient saliva to keep your teeth and gums healthy, and a dry mouth increases the risk of cavities.

A dry mouth caused by mouth breathing also leads to more bacteria in your mouth. It also leads to foul breath that stays for a long time.

Sleep Apnea And Gum Disease

If you have sleep apnea, you might be susciptoble to gum disease, too. When your body lacks oxygen, it results in the inflammation of your gums. You should be even more careful if you already have a gum disease. If you don't have it, the condition increases your risk factors.

Sleep apnea and the lack of proper oxygen, while you sleep, can increase the buildup of plaque in your gum pockets. Even deeper gum pockets are not safe.

If you are struggling with gum disease, sleep apnea will make it take longer to heal. This is because the condition restricts the seamless oxygen flow through your mouth and throat.

These factors expose your gums to various bacterial infections, simultaneously deteriorating them and your teeth.

If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, visiting a reliable dental clinic in Dubai for a quick checkup is better. At Magnum Clinic, professional dentists conduct fast and efficient checkups that pinpoint the issue you have been facing.

Sleep Apnea, Cavities, And Tooth Decay

If you are diagnosed with cavities or tooth decay without any other explainable reason, you may be suffering from sleep apnea. On the other hand, if you have sleep apnea, get yourself diagnosed with cavities and decay.

When you breathe through your mouth for too long, it becomes acidic. Such high acidity harms your enamel and exposes your teeth to cavities. If you grind your teeth, you can make matters worse for your oral health.

Treating Sleep Apnea With Dental Treatments

If the shape of your jaw or any other structural problem is causing you sleep apnea, you should go for a suitable treatment. Visit a reliable dental clinic in Dubai for specialized treatments. One of the most common procedures is an oral appliance therapy.

This procedure repositions your jaw to stop blocking the air's path. Once your jaw is back in shape, you will have no trouble breathing properly while sleeping. This way, treating your oral health issue can automatically fix sleep apnea.

On the other hand, you can also treat many dental complications by treating your sleep apnea. Without your sleep disorder, actions like teeth grinding and mouth breathing will stop, giving you better oral health.

Wrapping Up: Are Sleep Apnea And Oral Health Connected?

Sleep apnea and oral health are closely related. Issues with one condition often have a direct influence on the other. If you know you have sleep apnea, your oral health is likely to be at risk. If you have structural issues with your jaw, you are likely to develop sleep apnea at any time.

Whatever the case, consult the right health professionals for holistic treatment. Fixing one of the two issues can relieve the symptoms of the other.