WHAT YOUR MOUTH MAY BE TELLING YOU ABOUT YOUR HEALTH
A routine dental examination can reveal clues about sleep, breathing and other aspects of your overall health.
By Dr. Zubaida Hussain, Dentist and Dental Director, Westside, West Springs, Calgary
SIGNS WORTH MENTIONING
• Regular or disruptive snoring
• Waking up feeling unrefreshed
• Morning headaches
• Nighttime grinding or clenching
• Persistent dry mouth
• Mouth breathing or restless sleep in children
A dental appointment may begin with your teeth, but it rarely ends there.
Your mouth is connected to the rest of your body, and sometimes it reveals signs of a concern before you realize anything is wrong. Changes in your teeth, tongue, gums, jaw or the way you breathe can encourage your dentist to look beyond a cavity and ask a few important questions about your overall health.
Sleep is one area where those connections can be especially revealing.
CLUES THAT APPEAR IN THE DENTAL CHAIR
Sleep apnea is often associated with a sleep clinic and an overnight test, but some of its earliest clues may appear during a routine dental examination.
Teeth that are worn flat, chipped or cracked can be a sign of nighttime grinding. Grinding does not automatically mean someone has sleep apnea, but for some people it happens during brief arousals when breathing is disrupted.
A scalloped tongue, which has ridges along its edges from pressing against the teeth, may also prompt a closer look. A narrow upper jaw, high palate or crowded teeth can influence the amount of space available for the tongue and airway.
Dry mouth, frequent morning headaches and enamel erosion associated with acid reflux can add to the picture. None of these signs proves that someone has a sleep disorder. When several appear together, however, they may be worth discussing.