Are you suffering from loud snoring and restless sleep? This can be a sign of Sleep Apnea.
Sleep Apnea is a sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. If you still feel tired when you wake up in the morning, even after a full night of sleep, one of the reasons could be sleep-apnea.
Now, you must be wondering how your dentist can help you to get rid of this sleep disorder. How are both linked? You will be surprised to know that the dentists are often the earliest diagnostician of sleep disorders.
This is because, the pauses in breathing that happens during sleep is due to the muscles in the back of the throat being flabby or loose, the tongue is too large or the jaw is too small causing airway obstructions.
The first sign of sleep apnea is tooth grinding (also called bruxism). Our dentist at My Smile Dental Clinic, looks for the worn out tooth surfaces, a sign that a patient grinds their teeth. Grinding can cause tooth breakage and inflamed and receding gums. The force damages the teeth, making them more prone to cavities causing bacteria.
At night while sleeping, when you tense your jaw and grind your teeth, it sends a message to your brain to wake up so you can take a breath.
This is just one oral health sign of sleep apnea. A tongue with wrinkled edges or a small jaw or redness in the throat due to snoring are also signs of sleep apnea.
Waking up for breath repeatedly reduces the sleep quality and causes tiredness. It has a higher risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
One of the facts is, if there is a lot of tooth decay, it could result in grinding of teeth and sleep apnea. If you are suffering from chronic snoring, daytime drowsiness, dry mouth, sore throat and morning headaches, if you have any of these symptoms then consult our dentist today.
If you want to know more about sleep apnea and how it can be treated, then visit us at My Smile Dental Clinic to check your oral health.