Good sleep is necessary for optimal health and can affect hormone levels, mood and weight. If you have trouble falling asleep or sleeping through the night, if you wake up too early or have a hard time waking up at all, or if you are overly tired during the day, you may have one of the following sleep problems: snoring, sleep apnea, insomnia, sleep deprivation, bed wetting, sleep walking, sleep talking, sleep groaning, sleep grinding and restless legs syndrome, amongst others.
Obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which your airways close up briefly throughout the night, can have a huge effect on your health. It can lead to daytime sleepiness (since every time you stop breathing momentarily, you wake up) and it increases your risk for high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, liver problems, and other serious health issues. But it turns out, the health issues don’t stop there. Sleep apnea has been shown to negatively affect your teeth too.
Here are three dental problems to keep an eye out for if you have sleep apnea.
- Cracked or worn teeth: Grinding or clenching your teeth while you sleep—a condition called bruxism—is more common in people who have sleep apnea. One in every four people who has sleep apnea grinds his or her teeth. Over time, this can cause tooth sensitivity (and in some cases, cracked and damaged teeth). If you have tired, tight jaw muscles or sensitive teeth, this might be happening to you.
- Jaw pain: Sleep apnea is associated with chronic pain disorders, including jaw pain like TMJ or TMD. If it hurts to open and move your jaw bones, you may have one of these conditions.
- Higher risk of cavities: People who have sleep apnea are likelier to breathe through their mouths—a habit that can dry out protective saliva and lead to more tooth decay. As a result, your dentist might notice more enamel erosion and cavities.
The good news is that getting control over your sleep apnea can reduce or eliminate these dental issues. Talk to is to find out the best treatment plan for you. And talk to your dentist, too, about the various ways that you can treat any related dental problems.
How can we help ?
We are able to do sleep studies using SleepImage which is for Licensed Healthcare Professionals and their Patients.
Sleep varies from night to night. Dial in the difference to improve the precision of clinical decisions. Our patients appreciate testing their sleep at home over multiple nights, using a single sensor technology for considerably less cost.
The SleepImage device helps to :
- Establish sleep health
- Evaluate sleep disorders
- Diagnose sleep apnea
- Manage sleep disorders
SleepImage is a powerful clinical tool that has been thoroughly validated and helps us to help our patients.
2. We can do airway scans and determine the cause of the sleep apnea
3. If it’s a dental cause we can make you a custom made anti-snoring devices
Healthy sleep is vital for mental and physical well-being. We are concerned about the overall health of our patients, including their sleep health. Many people suffer needlessly from dangerous sleep disruptive disorders that keep them from getting enough oxygen at night. The risk of a heart attack is 23 times more likely than average with a sleep disorder, and 92% of stroke victims live unknowingly with this condition before an attack. Our training allows us to offer you education and treatment surrounding sleep health in the simplest and most cost-effective way possible. Call us on 021 686 2200 for a consultation.