Your Teeth Whilst You Sleep
When you go to bed, you are probably only concerned about getting a good night’s sleep, but spare a thought for what happens to your mouth while you snooze and learn how you can help to protect your oral and overall health overnight.
Higher Bacterial Levels in Your Mouth
It is tempting to imagine your mouth as a clean environment, but this isn’t the case. At any given moment, it hosts hundreds of strains of bacteria. Some are helpful, but not all are friendly. The harmful strains of bacteria will spend the night feasting on any leftover food particles on your teeth, and as they feed, they create acids and toxins. The acids weaken tooth enamel, increasing your chances of developing tooth decay. The toxins can infect and inflame your gums, putting you at risk of gum disease.
The problem is worsened if you fail to clean your teeth thoroughly before you go to bed, allowing these harmful bacteria to thrive and multiply.
Lower Saliva Production
During sleep, you produce less saliva, so there is no need for you to keep swallowing during the night. However, these drier conditions let the bacteria thrive, which is one reason why people often have morning or bad breath. The more bacteria in your mouth, the higher the risk of dental disease.
Again, failing to brush and floss your teeth thoroughly before bedtime worsens this problem. Some people who breathe through their mouth or have snoring and sleep apnoea are at even greater risk, and waking up with a dry mouth is a common symptom of sleep apnoea.
Teeth Grinding and Clenching
Teeth grinding and clenching is a problem called bruxism, and like sleep apnoea, it’s another sleep disorder, and it can be extremely destructive. When you clench and grind your teeth, it can wear them down, destroying your tooth enamel and increasing the chances of teeth becoming cracked, chipped or loose. You are also more likely to have other unpleasant symptoms like sore jaw and facial muscles and may wake up with frequent headaches.
Protecting Your Oral Health during Sleep
Going to bed with a clean mouth is essential, which is why your dentist will recommend you brush and floss your teeth before bedtime. When your mouth is cleaner, bacteria have less chance of thriving, protecting oral health, especially as saliva production is reduced. Get a professional diagnosis and treatment if you have sleep disorders like bruxism or sleep apnoea. Bruxism is often simple to treat with a custom-made night splint.
We can treat sleep apnoea at Snore No More Melbourne. Treatment begins with a sleep study carried out in the comfort of your own home and allows us to diagnose and understand the severity of your sleep apnoea and if it is suitable for a Somnodent device. The next stage is fabricating your custom-made mouthguard to treat your sleep apnoea. The mouthguard is designed to hold your airway open, allowing you to breathe easily and comfortably through your nose, helping to protect your oral health while improving your sleep quality.