People often get worried about gums and tooth health decay, even using all oral hygiene. If this is the case with you, you need to check how you sleep. Because sensitive gums and teeth are often destroyed due to constant air penetration, it depicts that sleeping with an open mouth causes negative side effects on teeth health.
When air enters into the oral cavity during your sleep, microbial growth starts there due to the presence of saliva. Such a situation leads to tooth decay. In this blog, we will briefly discuss the impacts on teeth due to open breathing at night and how you can control this habit.
Major Causes of Sleeping With Your Mouth Open
One of the major causes of sleeping with open mouths is the disorder of chronic nasal ingestion. If your children sleep with an open mouth at night, consult your doctor as they may be involved in allergies like asthma and hay fever. Similarly, allergies can also affect the oral health of adults.
However, some other chronic conditions lead to mouth breathing and chronic stuffiness. Such common chronic conditions are inflammation in nasal tissues or a tumor in the nostrils. Another disorder that causes breathing problems at night, resulting in sir gulping activities, is sleep apnea. Moreover, stress, anxiety, and depression have also been found responsive to oral health determination.
What Happens to Your Teeth When You Sleep With Your Mouth Open?
No matter who sleeps with an open mouth, he will face tooth decay because open breathing causes evaporation of saliva. Saliva evaporation does create not only discomfort for you but also imbalance your oral acidity. It depicts that more acidity leads to tooth decay due to saliva evaporation.
Mostly tooth erosion occurs when there is less acidity in the mouth. The bacterial growth on stuck food particles increases acidity and creates cavities. According to research, individuals who sleep with an open mouth have less acidity and pH as compared to those who sleep with closed mouth. In short, sleeping with an open mouth causes less acidity and teeth decay in your mouth.
How to Control Your Habit of Sleeping With an Open Mouth?
Stop worrying about your oral health if you are used to sleeping with an open mouth. It’s because you can get rid of this sleeping pattern to avoid breathing. Here are some things that you should do to control your habit of sleeping with an open mouth.
1- Go For Proper Medical Checkup
If you have asthma or any other chronic allergy, seek medical assistance from a professional. When there is no nasal congestion, you will feel comfortable breathing with your mouth closed. Good oral health is a representation of your good physical health.
2- Lay in Upright Position
Whenever you feel difficulty in nasal breathing, take more pillows to upright your position. Lying flat on a bed increases the risk of closing your nose with mucus. This mucus clogging is due to air penetration in the nostrils. Keeping yourself popped up during sleeping will help you stop mucus clogging, leading to comfortable closed mouth breathing.
3- Make Sure to Have Your Mouth Moist
Keeping your mouth moist is also key in controlling oral acidity levels. To keep your mouth moist, you should drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated. Along with this, opt for a hygienic oral routine. Make your nasal activities clean from any debris and mucous. Another thing you can do for comfortable closed mouth sleeping is to use a nose strip.
4- Consult Your Dentist
You should also arrange an appointment with your dentist if you observe poor sleeping patterns due to open-mouth breathing. It is essential because your dentist will recommend an oral hygiene routine for your teeth and gums. Improve your teeth health by getting proper medication from the dentist. You can contact Dr. Yasmin in case you or your kid is facing this issue.
Concluding Remarks!
Above all, sleeping with your mouth open is bad for your health. It causes mouth dryness, discomfort, imbalance acidity level, and less pH. Such circumstances can destroy both your teeth and gums. If you are sleeping with an open mouth, immediately seek an expert’s advice and improve your oral health. Enjoy good oral health by keeping your mouth closed while sleeping.
If you are looking for the best pediatric dentist in Dubai, contact Dr. Yasmin. She is one of Dubai’s best pediatric kids dentists and an expert in treating several kids’ dental issues. Moreover, you can also contact us if you have kids with special conditions like the autism spectrum.
So, what are you waiting for? Contact us Now!