What Your Teeth & Mouth Can Tell You About Your Sleep Quality

Did you know your teeth and mouth can provide valuable insights into your sleep quality? As a dentist, I've seen firsthand how understanding the relationship between oral health and sleep health can help people identify underlying sleep problems such as sleep apnea. 

From there, they can seek timely intervention to improve their sleep and overall health.  

One of the most apparent connections between oral health and sleep apnea is teeth grinding, also known as bruxism. People with sleep apnea often grind or clench their teeth1 involuntarily as they sleep. This can result in worn-down enamel, tooth sensitivity, jaw pain, and dental damage.

Sleep apnea is a condition characterized by repeated interruptions in breathing during sleep. These interruptions are called apneas. They occur when a person's airway becomes partially or completely blocked, and they can lead to temporary pauses in breathing, which can trigger involuntary jaw movements and bruxism episodes.

Acid reflux and sleep apnea are two distinct conditions. But they often coexist or influence each other. Acid reflux is also known as gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), and it occurs when the stomach's acidic content flows back into the esophagus. When this happens, it creates irritation and inflammation in a person's airway.

This causes the airway to narrow, making it more susceptible to obstruction during sleep. 

Having a "scalloped tongue" means there are wavy or rippled indentations (resembling a pie crust) along the sides of your tongue. Most of the time, tongue scalloping is caused by swelling or inflammation, which can be brought on by sleep apnea3 or another type of sleep-disordered breathing.

When people have trouble breathing at night, they may subconsciously push their tongues against their teeth to open their airways—and this behavior can lead to tongue scalloping. A scalloped tongue can also occur when the jaw is narrow or constricted, thus leading to insufficient room for the tongue.

Mouth breathing refers to the habit of breathing through the mouth instead of the nose. Occasional mouth breathing is normal, but chronic mouth breathing can lead to tooth decay, bleeding gums, and gum disease. Mouth breathing can also exacerbate the severity of sleep apnea. 

When people breathe through their mouths, they bypass the nose's natural filtering, warming, and humidifying functions. Consequently, the air entering the airway is colder, drier, and less filtered. This can lead to increased inflammation of the upper airway and contribute to airway obstruction.

Your teeth and mouth can provide valuable clues about your sleep quality and potential sleep disturbances, like sleep apnea. By paying attention to oral health issues and abnormalities, you can take proactive steps to identify and address underlying sleep problems.