Sleeping and Your Oral Health

Your teeth are at risk all the time–even while you sleep! Here at my Holland dental office, we help our patients protect their teeth day and night with treatment and care tips. We believe a little education can go a long way toward keeping your teeth strong and healthy day or night.

Here are two night-time habits, or issues, and the solutions that may save your teeth:

Snoring and Sleep Apnea

Not only is snoring a possible sign of sleep apnea, a potentially deadly disorder that disrupts your sleep, it’s also a common cause of dry mouth.  Everyone needs saliva to keep their mouths healthy. Saliva works to:

• Lubricate the tissues of your mouth
• Cleanse and rinse the oral cavity and teeth, minimizing plaque build-up, washing away trapped food particles, and removing dead cells that can lead to bad breath, infections, and sores.
• Neutralize the acids plaque produces to stop enamel erosion.

If you snore or wonder if you have sleep apnea, please call us or talk to your physician or dentist right away. Sleep apnea won’t just dry your mouth out, it can lead to all kinds of health problems from extreme fatigue to an increased risk for strokes and heart attacks.

Grinding or Bruxism

Stress, certain medications, and dental problems can all cause people to grind and clench their teeth during sleep, a disorder called bruxism. Bruxism seems pretty self explanatory in the fact that it can cause your teeth to break, chip, crack, and even decay because of enamel erosion, but did you know it can also lead to a variety of other problems?

Problems caused by bruxism may include:

• Headaches, especially in the morning
• Toothaches
• Facial pain
• Jaw pain and dysfunction sometimes known as TMJ disorder
• Gum disease
• Facial aging due to shortening of teeth
• Tooth damage

If you or someone you know grinds or clenches their teeth at night, please call my dental office in Holland. We’ll work with you to diagnose what’s going on in your mouth and recommend the best solution for you so you can get back to oral health and back to a good night’s sleep.

Welcoming patients from Holland, Saugatuck, and Zeeland.

About The Author

Dr. Jeffrey Huisman

Dr. Jeffrey Huisman comes from a family of dentists. He had already been exposed to dentistry long before he graduated high school when he helped at his father's dental office. Eventually, he joined his father's practice. Dr. Huisman has trained with recognized practitioners and academics and regularly keeps up with the latest techniques and advancements in the dentistry field. He is a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

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