Snoring is known for its loudness and its disruption to your sleep as well as that of your partner. But did you know snoring could also harm your well-being? Snoring will negatively affect your sleep quality, putting you at risk of health concerns, including for your smile.
Chronic snoring can lead to serious dental problems, but issues with your teeth may also create this harmful behavior. Your dentist can evaluate your dental structure and airway to understand this symptom and determine a way to treat it. Read on to learn more about snoring and how it relates to your overall oral health.
Can Dental Concerns Lead to Snoring?
Snoring occurs when the soft tissue at the back of your throat relaxes as you sleep and collapses within the airway. The sound happens when air passes through this narrowed passage and vibrates the tissues in its path. Many circumstances contribute to a snoring habit, including congestion, obesity, alcohol consumption, and a deviated septum.
The structure of your mouth may make you snore too. For instance, misalignment in the jaw could lead to a higher chance of snoring. Tooth decay, gum disease, and other dental issues may cause the teeth to shift out of place and lead to a snoring problem.
Patients with sleep apnea, a disorder in which the tissue at the back of the throat will collapse during sleep to briefly completely block the airway, might also snore. Obstructive sleep apnea may develop for a number of reasons, just like snoring. Your dentist can discuss how your oral health can impact this behavior when you schedule a dental consultation.
Will Chronic Snoring Create Oral Health Problems?
Dental problems may lead to snoring or sleep apnea, but chronic snoring can also lead to oral health issues. Disrupted sleep and respiration can cause medical and cognitive concerns, but these complications can hurt your smile as well.
Many people who snore will also sleep with their mouths open. This can dry out the mouth, and the dry environment of this condition will allow oral bacteria to spread with greater ease. As a result, you will have a higher risk of oral infections like gum disease.
Gum disease will present with inflamed gum tissue. But as it advances, you can see severe damage in your teeth, gums, and jaw that may cause tooth loss. Ask your dentist about treatment to resolve this behavior to protect your smile.
Can My Dentist Treat Chronic Snoring?
Mild cases of obstructive sleep apnea and chronic snoring can be resolved with help from your dentist. They can give you a custom-made night guard to wear as you sleep. It will keep the jaw in a comfortable position that prevents the collapse of the tissue at the back of the throat.
You do not have to worry about the device slipping out of place or impacting your ability to sleep comfortably because of this personalized fit. Learn if this treatment will help your oral health by talking to your dentist.