Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is perhaps the most common form of this sleep disorder, caused by relaxed tissue of the soft palate, throat, and tongue restricting the airways through which you breathe while you sleep. Snoring is the most obvious symptom, but it’s far from the only one.
Many are surprised to find that OSA carries threats to your dental health, too. While this may not have the dramatic nature of other side effects, like heart disease and stroke, it demonstrates how the body’s systems integrate.
Dentists are often the first healthcare professionals to recognize the signs of OSA in patients and sometimes play an important role in treatment. We take our responsibility to your sleep seriously at Redmond Smiles Family & Implant Dentistry in Redmond and Bellevue, Washington.
There are warning signs that we’re uniquely positioned to observe. In today’s blog, we’ll look at seven oral health indicators that reveal you’re suffering from OSA.
Also known as teeth grinding, bruxism is closely related to OSA. One theory is that the stress of OSA manifests in a clenched jaw. Since your breathing stops when you have sleep apnea, there’s a period of stress as your brain wakes you enough to restart breathing.
This may cause tension that leads to you biting and grinding in your sleep. As well as causing premature wear on your teeth, you may also suffer from strain to the jaw at the temporomandibular joints.
Waking with a headache is a common sign of sleep disruption. Bruxism can contribute to this, as does the disrupted sleep cycle. Usually, headache symptoms are the strongest upon waking, easing up as your day continues.
OSA often means mouth breathing, which causes significant moisture loss. Saliva is an important contributor to oral health, so when it dries out, bacteria in the mouth can multiply. This increases the risk of bad breath, cavities, and gum disease.
Poor sleep significantly increases inflammation in your body, and your mouth is no exception. Add this to mouth breathing and lower oxygen saturation levels, and you have an ideal environment for bacteria to thrive, dramatically increasing your risk of gum disease.
It’s natural to measure sleep with your bedroom clock, since, well, you’re sleeping. However, eight hours in bed with untreated OSA may only add up to a couple of hours of restorative sleep. This could leave you tired throughout the day, with mood swings and poor cognitive performance.
Premature wear from bruxism is only one type of tooth damage. Jaw pressure can cause chipping and cracking, and it may loosen fillings. Flat spots on the chewing surfaces may be something you notice as well.
Since we’re in your mouth to care for your teeth, we can often spot when the proportions of your mouth are problematic. A narrow palate, an enlarged tongue, or crowded teeth can all contribute to the airflow restrictions that OSA imposes during sleep.
Dental health clues may be your first warning that OSA is on the way. Contact Redmond Smiles Family & Implant Dentistry for an examination and assessment of the condition of your oral health. Call or click to book your appointment now.
