How Can Snoring Negatively Impact My Teeth?

Snoring occurs when the airway is somewhat or fully closed off when sleeping. When this happens, it will be difficult to breath and the mouth will open so you can get more extra air to flow. Snoring may lead to many oral problems that our team at Made Ya Smile Kingwood, TX is able to treat. Men and women in Kingwood, TX who know they snore or have a sleeping disorder can come by our office for snoring solutions that can help their dental health and hygine.

The significance of snoring on the teeth

When the mouth is left open during sleep, your mouth will dry out. If this persists, your salivary glands will no longer work and you won’t have an adequate amount saliva to help your mouth keep wet. This is known as xerostomia, the lack of salivary flow. Saliva is needed in order to coat your oral tissues.

Xerostomia is one of the most common causes of gum disease and tooth loss in adults. Saliva is necessary in order to clean the mouth by rinsing the tongue, the cheeks, as well as gums of dead cells. When these cells aren’t removed routinely, they create a smell and will likely result in foul breath. Also, if you have inadequate saliva, a pain might crop up, which can cause burning mouth syndrome.

If the mouth is dry, there is likely a pH imbalance that encourages acid and plaque to build up and weaken tooth enamel. A pH imbalance may also create pits in the teeth that may lead to cavities. If left unaddressed, bacteria might even disturb the nerves and tooth roots, resulting in needing root canal therapy in Kingwood, TX. A cavity also increases the chances of infection.

If your mouth is sticky, bad breath, a dry tongue, or thick saliva, these are all signs that you’re not generating the correct amount of saliva. In more extreme cases of xerostomia, your taste may be altered. If you snore or have sleep apnea, these dry-mouth symptoms are an indication that you may need to visit our team for dental treatment as soon as possible.

Sleep apnea and snoring

Sleep apnea is a sleep ailment that develops when regular breathing is interrupted as you sleep. It is typical among most people who suffer from sleep apnea, however not all people who snore are diagnosed with sleep apnea. Men and women who have oversized tonsils and/or tongues, tiny jaws, or a nasal obstruction like a deviated septum are at risk for having sleep apnea.

There are two forms of sleep apnea:

1. Obstructive sleep apnea: Obstructive sleep apnea is the most well-known type and is the result of restricted airflow. This is caused when the soft tissue at the back of your throat collapses as you sleep.
2. Central sleep apnea: This occurs when the brain signals an issue with your breathing muscles. Your airway might not be interrupted, but the brain can’t correctly signal the muscles to breath.

Snoring and your oral health

Although snoring does not mean you will have lost teeth, it does mean that you have to be better about your oral health. A common way to avoid the dry-mouth effects of sleep apnea is to ensure you brush at a minimum of two times each day for about two minutes. This will prevent bacteria overgrowth. Regular flossing is just as vital as this will get rid of bacteria that usually occur at your gumline or between your teeth.

Routine dentist visits at Made Ya Smile Kingwood, TX gives our dentists to catch any signs of cavities and if detected, to address them while in the early stages. Routine appointments can allow us to resolve any issues before expensive corrective treatments are necessary, such as a dental crown.

Ways to help snoring

Men and women who suffer from extreme sleep apnea generally aren’t the best contender for a solution from the dentist. A Continuous Positive Air Pressure (CPAP) will likely be a more fitting solution. However, certain patients are not ideal candidates due to additional health issues. Our team efficiently examines you and learns about your medical history before we determine whether you could have a CPAP.

Made Ya Smile Kingwood, TX administers sleep apnea tests to help determine if you could use an oral appliance. This device is used at your home while you sleep and the data are sent to your primary care doctor who then gives consent for treating your sleep apnea with oral appliance therapy from our team in Kingwood, TX. Dental appliance therapy is a unique device that fits in the mouth at night. This device is comparable to a mouth guard. However, the oral appliance does not protect your teeth from injury, instead it nudges the jaw in a forward arrangement to help keep the airway open. Digital x-rays help our dentists to get a good look at your tongue, teeth, airway, and jaw very clearly prior to generating your dental appliance.

Addressing snoring with dental appliance therapy

The team at Made Ya Smile Kingwood, TX is here to help establish how snoring and sleep apnea could be affecting your dental health. If you believe your snoring is developing into an issue and you want to learn about the snoring solutions offered in Kingwood, TX, make a consultation at our office at your earliest convenience!