Adequate rest is essential for the body to carry out its regenerative functions and for us to enjoy a state of well-being that allows us to carry out our daily activities. However, there are several factors that can interfere with the necessary rest, including various oral disorders and the misalignment or poor condition of dental prostheses.
One of the key aspects that influences our health is enjoying quality rest, mainly through sufficient hours of sleep. Sleep is when our body performs certain regenerative functions, which allow for the proper maintenance of different systems and the body in general.
These functions include muscle relaxation and strengthening of the immune system, aspects that directly affect people’s overall health. But what happens when we don’t get enough rest? What factors can negatively affect our sleep? And how is rest related to our oral health?
Some of the immediate consequences of sleep deprivation in our daily lives are daytime sleepiness, increased stress levels and mood swings. These factors can have a huge impact on the quality of life of people who suffer from this deficiency on a regular basis.
Bruxism and sleep apnoea
There are various disorders and external factors that can cause inadequate rest. One of these disorders is bruxism, which, although not exclusive to periods of sleep, usually occurs regularly during night-time rest.
It is a disorder classified as a parasomnia, i.e. behaviours that we perform during sleep, without significant interruptions or alterations in daytime alertness. The symptoms of bruxism are completely unconscious clenching and grinding of the teeth, releasing accumulated stress, and it is therefore directly related to high stress levels.
The most common consequences of bruxism are tooth wear and damage, as the teeth are subjected to high mechanical pressure. However, the pressure exerted can also affect the gums and jaw muscles, promoting the development of gum inflammation and muscle stiffness, which can lead to insomnia, headaches and even earaches.
Sleep apnoea, an obstruction of the airways that hinders or prevents normal airflow to the lungs, is another disorder that affects sleep. It is often caused by poor jaw positioning and becomes more prevalent as we age. This leads to snoring and gasping for breath, which can cause the affected person to wake up repeatedly and be unable to get enough rest, even without being aware of it.
Oral disorders affecting rest
Periodontitis or gum disease, whose prevalence increases with age, is another determining factor in rest. Infection and inflammation of the gums often cause intense pain, making it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep for long periods of time.
In turn, the lack of rest caused by these discomforts can lead to a decrease in the immune response, which hinders the body’s ability to fight the causative pathogens and can promote their chronicity.
Several studies have established a link between gingivitis or periodontitis and Alzheimer’s disease, as high levels of antibodies against periodontal bacteria lead to an increase in the levels of inflammatory molecules in other parts of the body, which is associated with higher rates of cognitive decline.
But in addition to these disorders, which can appear at various ages, older people sometimes suffer from sleep disturbances due to external factors. Among these, we can highlight the misalignment and poor condition of dentures.
These situations are common among people institutionalised in residential centres and in cases of dependency, and usually lead to the appearance of painful gum lesions, preventing adequate rest in a similar way to what we mentioned in the case of periodontitis.
Oral health, key to a proper rest
As we have seen, the quality of rest is essential for enjoying good health, and oral health can have a decisive impact on our sleep. For this reason, if there is any oral disorder that affects rest, we should consult our dentist so that they can assess the patient’s condition.
In many cases, the correct approach to these disorders involves measures such as prescribing bite splints in cases of bruxism, various non-invasive devices to treat sleep apnoea, or the correction of jaw malocclusions through orthodontics, maxillary orthopaedics, and even surgical treatment.
It is also important to monitor cases of periodontitis. In these cases, scaling and root planing (SRP) is the technique used to remove tartar, bacterial plaque and pigmentation, as well as other organic deposits found on the tooth surface. This scaling is performed both supragingivally, on the tooth and above the gums, and subgingivally, on the tooth and inside the gums.
And, of course, it is essential to develop and maintain oral hygiene habits, especially before going to bed, as saliva production decreases during the night and our mouth is more exposed to bacterial activity.
Because optimal oral health is a guarantee that we can enjoy restful sleep and, with it, good overall health and quality of life.