But how exactly does your sleep schedule impact your dental health? Here’s what you need to know when it comes to getting proper sleep and your tooth and gum health!

Lack of Sleep Could Increase Your Risk for Gum Disease

Sleep deprivation can affect your risk for gum disease and even influence the severity of gum disease [2]. Researchers suspect the link here is inflammation—when the body doesn’t get enough sleep, it tends to produce more inflammatory hormones.

Inflammation is a key component in gum disease, as it can cause the gums to swell and become irritated, usually as the result of bacteria that’s accumulated around the gumline. However, lack of sleep can cause gum disease to become worse—and cause the need for more advanced treatment to reverse the condition.

Sleep Keeps the Immune System Strong

Your immune system plays an important role in fighting off potential oral infections such as gum disease and even oral thrush. Fortunately, sleep helps keep the immune system strong to be able to defend the body against such infections [3].

When you don’t get enough sleep, whether due to an irregular sleep schedule or a hectic lifestyle, you effectively lower your immunity and make your oral cavity more susceptible to problems.

Disrupted or Poor Sleep Can Impact Oral Health

People who experience disrupted sleep are at an increased risk to experience poor oral health, according to research [4]. A prime example of this is people who snore or have sleep apnea—their mouth breathing and consistently interrupted sleep makes proper rest impossible, leading to lower immunity and a higher risk for oral health problems.

Mouth breathing such as that seen in sleep apnea or in people who snore can also dry out the oral cavity and lead to an increased risk for cavities. Fortunately, seeking treatment for sleep apnea can help lower your risk!

How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Consistency is important when it comes to sleep—while everyone is different, a good general rule is to get a minimum of seven hours every night. Ideally, you should wake up and go to bed at the same time to maintain your schedule.

If you have trouble sleeping, reducing your caffeine and sugar intake at least two hours before bed, avoiding bright lights (especially blue light emitted from electronic devices), and sleeping in a cool, dark room may help improve your sleep quality. Getting a good night’s sleep is essential for more than just your body—your teeth and gums will thank you as well!

Sources:
1. http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/consequences/sleep-and-
disease-risk
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4520116/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3256323/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5536213/

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Here’s what happens when you have to wear something uncomfortable: you don’t end up wearing it. Like that pair of 5-inch heels or a too-tight shirt in the closet, it just doesn’t get used. When you need a mouthguard for essential protection such as from contact sports or teeth grinding (also called bruxism), not wearing your mouthguard could set you up for serious damage to your teeth. Getting a mouthguard that’s made specifically for your mouth and actually fits can reduce discomfort and ensure that you’ll use your protective gear!

Enhance Protection

When you get a custom mouthguard, impressions are taken at your dentist’s office in order to ensure a perfect fit. This custom fit means that your mouthguard will fit your mouth impeccably and will be so comfortable you may not even know you’re wearing it. This increases the chances you’ll actually wear your mouthguard, therefore resulting in a better-protected smile!

However, ensuring a custom-fit also means that each and every tooth is protected. When you buy generic mouthguards at the store, it’s hard to ensure protection because these mouthguards were not made with your unique mouth in mind. With custom mouthguards, every tooth in your mouth is fully protected to resist damage from sports or bruxism.

Breathe Better

Have you ever tried to run with a huge mouthguard in? It feels impossible to get enough oxygen into your lungs when you’re wearing an improperly-fitting mouthguard. Having you or your child wear these mouthguards during sports or while sleeping just isn’t safe—you need to breathe well to ensure proper oxygen intake to nourish your body.

With custom-fitted mouthguards, the discomfort is gone, the protection is there, and you can breathe better. This is because this mouthguard was made specifically for you. It’s not too big or too small, and your airway is left unobstructed by a custom-fitting mouthguard. Breathe easier during sports and sleep with these custom devices!

Getting a custom mouthguard is absolutely worth the effort and the cost at your dentist’s office. This is because it better protects your teeth, is more comfortable, and allows you to breathe properly regardless of what you need to do with your mouthguard in. Ask your dentist about getting custom mouthguards to fully protect your smile!

The post Custom Mouthguards: Are They Really Worth It? appeared first on Your Dental Health Resource.

There are several health risks associated with sleep apnea. Some are milder in that they generally don’t put the patient’s life in peril, but can still cause discomfort and distress. These include:

• Disrupted sleep: the patient is constantly awakening throughout the evening

• Daytime fatigue: due to lack of sleep the patient feels tired and irritable, and can lack focus during waking hours

• Heavy snoring: RIM sleep is interrupted and the patient never fully appreciates the benefits gained from deep sleep, which leads to drowsiness during waking hours

The more severe health risks caused by sleep apnea are:

• Obesity: because your body is less efficient at using energy, you gain weight

• Diabetes: people who experience weight gain, especially significant weight gain have a far-greater risk of becoming diabetic

• High blood pressure: people who become overweight are at a greater risk of having high blood pressure

• Congestive heart failure: weight and stress hormones contribute to higher heart rates leading to heart failure and strokes

• Stroke

There are other ways that sleep apnea can cause harm or injury to the body. Because sleep apnea sufferers don’t get enough sleep, they are less attentive and are at a significantly higher risk of dosing of during activities such as driving. Sleep apnea and lack of sleep can cause car accident. This has been proven through statistical research.

Treatments for Sleep Apnea:

• CPAP Machines: The machine regulates the air intake by using a mask designed to fit over the nose, and or the mouth, and is connected via a tube

• Appliance Therapy: a mouth piece that prevents the airway from becoming obstructed

A dentist can fit a patient with a mouth piece that depresses or holds the tongue in place, while supporting the jaw, and allowing the airway to remain open. According to the AADSM (American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine), there are more than 18-million people who suffer from sleep apnea due to obstructed airways. Their studies have shown that more than half of the people who begin the CPAP treatment will stop using the device due to the discomfort they feel while attempting to sleep.

The advantage of using an appliance is that there are no tubes and no machine noise while sleeping. The appliances keep the airway open naturally without all the head gear that is associated with a CPAP machine. Oral appliances are an excellent alternative to the CPAP machine in mild cases of sleep apnea. People who suffer from extreme cases of sleep apnea will likely have to undergo the CPAP treatment. As with all medical treatment, you should consult a physician and your dentist to see if the oral appliance is right for you.

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