We very well know that a lack of sleep is quite harmful to our overall health. But, do you know that sometimes your sleep issue can be related to your teeth and jaw?
Yes, it is possible, don’t get surprised.
Having good sleep is an important function in humans and plays a great role in keeping them healthy. It is also true that many people put the focus on the total number of hours they sleep at night. But, have you ever thought that sleep quality is also as important as the hours you sleep?
Sleep problems may arise as a result of poor quality of sleep instead of a lack of sleep. In other words, we can say that your dental health can be one of the reasons for sleep apnea.
There is no doubt that an orthodontist cannot treat sleep apnea, but he/she may be the first professional who can help in recognising the symptoms of sleep apnea in adults and children.
The Orthodontics Melbourne can help in performing an obstructive sleep apnea screening assessment and also help in referring the patients for diagnostic evaluation. The orthodontist works closely with you to manage the disease.
Let’s know more about sleep problems before learning about how some orthodontics Melbourne treatments can help in improving sleep problems.
What are sleep problems?
Some of the common sleep problems are sleep deprivation and sleep apnea.
Sleep deprivation
Sleep deprivation is a condition that brings a great impact on your health and can be the cause of various health problems such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and others. Always keep in mind that the more poor sleep habits you have, the more likely to have these health issues. So, it becomes important to work on finding the real cause of the lack of sleep quality.
Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is another most common sleep problem that occurs due to the result of muscles relaxing at night followed by closing the walls of the throat. It is a serious sleep problem in which the breathing of a person starts and stops repeatedly. The person wakes hundreds of times in his sleep without even realising this condition. So, when he wakes up in the morning, he feels unrested, foggy, and sleep deprived, even after sleeping several hours at night.
How dental problems can affect your sleep? How orthodontics can help you?
Mouth breathing
If you breathe through your mouth instead of your nose, it can cause various oral health problems. It is so because, when your teeth are exposed to air instead of saliva all through the night, there are high chances of getting cavities due to the inability to wash bacteria from the mouth.
This situation also results in red and inflamed gums and can also cause bleeding gums. Another dental problem that occurs due to mouth breathing is chronic bad breath.
Some orthodontics Melbourne treatments such as braces can help in treating the signs of mouth breathing.
Teeth grinding
If you have a habit of grinding your teeth in sleep, you are more likely to be affected by a sleep problem. Bruxism is a common dental problem that can be caused due to stress, snoring, fatigue, smoking, and even due to alcohol and caffeine. Do you know that if anyone has chronic bruxism, it can lead to damage to the teeth, jaw pain, headaches, and even ear pain?
Orthodontics Melbourne treatment such as wearing a retainer or nightguard can protect your teeth from damage as a result of teeth grinding at night. In some cases, even correcting a bite can save your teeth from unnecessary wear and tear as a result of bruxism.
TMD (Temporomandibular joint Disorder)
It is another dental problem that can contribute to the sleep disorder. These are the joints that allow you to eat and speak and also connect your jaw to the skull. The symptoms of this dental issue include pain in front of your ear, locked jaw, and ticking noise when you open your mouth or chew food. This problem also leads to the main in the jaw.
Sometimes, the uneven bite can cause TMD, so orthodontics Melbourne treatment can fix this problem and improve your joints.
Final Words
If you are suffering from sleep apnea or experiencing any kind of sleep disorder, the best idea is to consult the doctor or diagnose the real cause of your sleep problem. You can also discuss your sleep problem associated with dental health with an orthodontist. He/she will suggest you the most suitable orthodontics Melbourne treatment options.
