Effects Of Sleep Apnea On Your Oral Health
Posted on: 4 June 2018
Living with untreated sleep apnea is risky for your health, yet a lot of people live with this condition without treating it because they do not know they have it. If you believe you might suffer from this condition, you can find out by talking to your dentist. While talking to your dentist, you can learn about the health risks of untreated sleep apnea, and you can also learn about the effects untreated sleep apnea can have on your oral health. Here are some of the effects this can have on your teeth.
You may suffer from dry mouth
Sleep apnea is a health condition that causes people to snore and stop breathing while they sleep. It happens when a person breathes through his or her mouth while sleeping. When the person sleeps, the person's airway is closed off in the back of the throat, and this leads to a restriction in the breathing process. One of the symptoms of sleep apnea is waking up with a dry mouth and sore throat. Having a dry mouth is not a comfortable experience, and a person's mouth often stays dry for most of the day when they have untreated sleep apnea. Dry mouth leads to bad breath and a variety of other oral health problems.
The lack of saliva can put you at a greater risk for developing cavities
Dry mouth is a condition where the mouth does not have enough saliva in it, and this is not good for teeth. Saliva is a vital part of your mouth, and it is needed for many reasons. One purpose of saliva is to cleanse the teeth of bacteria. The saliva that flows in your mouth all day long is actually keeping your teeth cleaner, even though you might not realize it. Therefore, people with dry mouth have a higher risk of developing cavities, simply because their mouths are not cleansing the bacteria out like they should be.
Bacteria in your mouth can increase your risks of developing gum disease
When your mouth has too much bacteria present, which occurs from a lack of saliva, it can put you at a greater risk for developing gum disease. Gum disease develops from bacteria in plaque that form on the gumlines in your mouth. Because of this, living with untreated sleep apnea can lead to oral health problems, as well as many types of other health problems.
If you think there is a chance you might have sleep apnea, you should find out. Untreated sleep apnea is not good for your health or your teeth, and you can learn more about sleep apnea by talking to your local dentist.
For more information, talk to companies like Jerry C Hu DDS Family Dentistry LLC.
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