The Three Main Impacts Bad Sleep Has On Your Teeth
Posted on: 26 October 2020
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It is estimated that 40% of Australians do not get enough sleep each night. Poor sleep impacts on a person's health in several ways and one of these areas is oral hygiene. As someone who suffers from bad sleep habits and wonders what the link is between sleep and teeth, consider these three ways your dental health is affected by sleep deprivation.
Food Choices
It is hard enough to stay focused on the goal of eating healthy during the day without adding tiredness to the equation. Once a person experiences constant tiredness, it is not unusual for bad food choices to be made. When you're dead on your feet, the idea of standing at the oven cooking a nutritious meal is not appealing. Instead, a quick trip to the local fast-food drive-through or a swipe through the local food delivery service menu means easier food choices. Unfortunately, fast food normally does not give the nutrients and calcium your teeth need to remain strong and healthy. Additionally, the extra sugar and salt found in fast-food choices are a magnet for bacteria to build up which leads to plaque and then cavities.
Dental Routines
Another way bad sleep impacts your teeth is that tiredness affects your daily dental routines. You already know that you must brush and floss your teeth twice a day to remove bacteria which leads to plaque and cavities. But, when you wake up tired and spend the whole day being tired, how often is it easier just to ignore your daily dental needs because you're just too tired to walk into the bathroom? It does not take long for cavities to develop when teeth do not receive daily care. Ignored cavities can also lead to nerve damage and even loss of teeth if issues are ignored for too long.
Stress Grinding
It is hard to deal with day-to-day stress, and when you are tired there is often nothing left in the tank to help you combat the impact stress has on your life. One way stress manifests itself in your mouth is teeth grinding and jaw clenching. Both of these stress manifestations are bad for the long-term health of your teeth as they can lead to stress fractures and chipped teeth.
The first step you must take to ascertain the impact your sleeping habits have had on your teeth is to make an appointment with your dentist for a checkup. Once you are aware of the overall health of your teeth and have a treatment plan in place if it is required, then you can turn your thoughts to tackling your bad sleep issues so you can regain control of your health. Learn more about general dentistry today.