How the Dentist Can Help with Snoring

If you wake up first thing in the morning with a dry mouth and a slight headache, there’s a good chance it could be from snoring. Some estimates suggest that maybe 30-50 percent of U.S. citizens snore at some point for a multitude of reasons. If you want to get help for this non-lethal but inconvenient trait, you can actually consult with your dentist about snoring and how to avoid it.

What Causes Snoring?

Snoring is basically heavy breathing due to an airway obstruction while you sleep, usually caused by soft tissue in the mouth or the tongue. According to the American Dental Association, soft tissues at the top of your airway can vibrate as you breathe in and out, which is what we know as snoring. This may occur every night or on occasion. Weight, medication, and sleep position can all provoke snoring, which is known to cause daytime sleepiness, headaches, restlessness, and confusion.

Solutions

If you or your partner has been struggling with similar symptoms, you may need to consult your dentist. He or she may suggest minor lifestyle changes, surgery, oral appliances, or even enrolling you in a sleep study for analysis. Losing weight can also lessen the pressure from lying on your back. Even minor adjustments, such as changing your sleep position, can make a difference. Lying on your back forces the tongue to rest at the top of airway, so, instead, lie on your side or stomach to make breathing easier.

Before consulting your dentist, consider any medication you may be taking. Muscle relaxers or drinking alcohol can make snoring worse—alcohol consumption should especially be consumed at no more than a moderate amount. Try to avoid drinking or taking muscle relaxers right before bed or even within three hours of going to bed. Snoring becomes more likely when your throat muscles are relaxed.

Smoking can also cause irritation and add further discomfort. Smoke can inflame tissues of the upper airway and increase snoring. As with drinking, not smoking for at least several hours before bed can lessen snoring. More severe cases may involve sleep apnea, a condition where the throat collapses and stops one’s breathing momentarily. In this case, a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine can treat this. The appliance blows air back into the throat to prevent it from collapsing during sleep.

Oral Health

Better sleep quality can help your teeth and your oral health in more ways than one. Getting a proper amount of rest throughout the night gives you enough energy to properly take care of your teeth day and night. When you're well rested, you’re also less likely to wake up with dry mouth. Bacteria tends to thrive when there is a lack of saliva, and this can worsen dental problems. So, you can consult your dentist about getting a night guard or using other positive methods to help with snoring and improve you or your partner’s quality of sleep.

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