Can a lack of sleep lead to more problems for your oral health? Sleep deprivation, or problems enjoying restful sleep, can complicate your overall health and emotional well-being in several ways. It is possible for these issues to interfere with your dental care regimen because they can lead to changes in your diet, or they can make it hard to focus on your oral care. Better rest may not be the only thing you need to avoid future restorative dental work, but it can lead to more positive changes. In addition to helping you identify shortcomings in your smile care routine, our Ankeny, IA dentist’s office can help you deal with sleep apnea, which can have a negative impact on your rest.
Exhaustion Can Affect Your Focus, Your Energy, And Your Diet
If you frequently feel tired, you may compensate by trying to consume more caffeine. Because caffeinated beverages are often high in sugar, this can change your relative risk for cavities. Coffee, energy drinks, and soft drinks can also be problems for your teeth because they are acidic, and can soften your enamel. Fatigue can also leave you too tired to prepare healthy meals, and may even make you less motivated to make sure you thoroughly brush and floss before turning in for the evening.
How Consistent Are You About Brushing And Flossing?
If you occasionally oversleep and leave yourself no time to brush, or fall asleep before caring for your smile at night, you can become more likely to develop tartar buildup. This can lead to more issues with decay, meaning you are more likely to need a dental filling or dental crown at a future appointment. Tartar can form in a relatively short time, and the substance will not go away until you have your teeth professionally cleaned.
Nightly Teeth Grinding Can Also Hurt Your Smile
While the inability to fall or stay asleep is concerning, this is not the only nighttime issue that can affect your oral health. Struggles with bruxism, a habitual teeth grinding issue, can lead to more wear and tear on your teeth. The friction from grinding and chewing can wear down teeth and change their shapes, or even deal serious dental damage! Let your dentist know if you think this problem may be affecting you. The effects of bruxism can be particularly easy to spot when you first wake up – you can have sensitive teeth, pain in your jaw, or even problems with headaches.
Your Ankeny, IA Dentist Can Help You Protect Your Smile Against Oral Health Threats
Our Ankeny, IA dentist’s office is prepared to help patients who are concerned about their oral health. We provide guidance as well as in-office services to help you maintain a healthy, cavity-free smile! To find out more, please call Dental Impressions at (515) 965-0230.
