Posted by Dr. Thomas Flavin Oct 20,2015
Your teeth are at risk all the time–even while you sleep! Here at my Saint Louis 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:
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:
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.
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:
If you or someone you know grinds or clenches their teeth at night, please call my dental office in Saint Louis. 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 Saint Louis, Affton, and Webster Grove.
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