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

Here's an overview of how oral health and sleep are connected, and how to take proactive steps to improve both.

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. The grinding is the body's response to reopen a person's airway and restore normal breathing. 

Sleep apnea can also influence the occurrence and severity of acid reflux2. During apnea episodes, the repeated cessation of breathing leads to negative pressure changes in the chest and abdomen. These changes promote the movement of stomach contents, including acid, into the esophagus.

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.

As many as 80 percent of people who have a scalloped tongue also have sleep apnea3, so it's a marker you should pay attention to.

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.

Mouth breathing can also affect the position of the tongue and jaw, and this can lead to further airway obstruction during sleep. A lowered tongue position and lack of support from closed lips may cause the tongue to fall back more easily and partially block a person's airway.

Certain dental abnormalities may indicate sleep apnea or a smaller airway, which can make people more prone to obstruction during sleep. These abnormalities include:

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.

Remember to consult with healthcare professionals, such as dentists or sleep specialists, who can provide accurate diagnoses and personalized treatment plans. With their expertise and a proactive approach to oral health, you can achieve better sleep and a healthier life.