Summertime and Sleep Apnea Effects
July 6, 2018
Summer means longer days, more pollen in the air, and temperature changes that can make days up to forty degrees warmer than nights sometimes. All these factors can affect sleep disorders, especially serious ones like sleep apnea. When that happens, symptoms tend to escalate, and patients who are not currently being treated for the disorder are more likely to experience symptoms. If you have sleep trouble this summer, it might be time to talk to your dentist about being tested for this condition.
Effects on Oral Health
This disorder affects a broad spectrum of the body’s systems, leaving profound marks on many of your body’s organs over time. When it comes to your mouth and smile, the biggest and most immediate concern is bruxism, or grinding teeth. Grinding often starts out as a minor issue that goes unnoticed until it escalates enough to damage the teeth and gums. When that happens, there are a variety of issues that begin to cause problems for patients:
- Teeth loosen and may shift
- Pockets of empty space form from this shifting
- Those pockets are often prime locations for infection, leading to gum disease
- Teeth can also fracture or otherwise break from high-intensity grinding
All of this also comes with a lot of oral pain, as you might expect after seeing those symptoms. On top of the problems bruxism can cause, there’s also an increased chance of cavities for patients that struggle with it. When you add to that the increased oral dryness and the way that can lead to tissue damage, there are a lot of reasons to treat sleep apnea right away, before you even consider the rest of your body.
Make an Appointment
If you’re ready to make an appointment to talk to Dr. Douglas Genninger in Tampa, FL about your symptoms, contact us during regular business hours. Our team is ready to set you up with an appointment and to answer any questions you have about what you’ll need on the day you come in.