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T E R H OU T We take an in depth look at how sleep disordered breathing can affect oral health and what can be done about it Story by Sahil Bareja
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ental professionals, including Dental hygienists, Dental therapists, Oral health therapists, play a crucial role in identifying the link between a patient’s oral and systemic health. Chronic conditions like Diabetes, Arthritis and Cardiovascular disease have been studied extensively in respect to their connection with oral health. Obstructive Sleep Apnea and the oral health connection has been studied for a number of years, yet very little training is available in dental schools or CPDs to make dental professionals aware of risks associated with sleep apnea and oral health. An average person living for 75 years and sleeping for eight hours-a-day, would have spent 25 years of their life sleeping. This is equivalent to 9,125 days of 219,000 hours, and yet we continue to give very little importance to sleep. Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) refers to a range of breathing disorders while asleep, however for the purpose of this article, we will be referring to three main categories: Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), Central Sleep Apnea (CSA) and Complex (mixed) Sleep Apnea. Research has shown that individuals are 24.1 % more likely to visit their dentist for an annual check-up, as compared to a general physician. Thus, dental professionals are crucial in assessment, identification and in some cases, management of sleep disordered breathing. Dental hygienists/therapists and oral health therapists need to be aware about the effects of SDB on oral health and other potential side effects. The sleep disorder that is closely related to oral health is Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). By definition, OSA is partial or complete cessation of breathing during sleep due to an obstruction in airways. This obstruction can be both soft tissue obstruction (large tongue, reduced muscle tone, deviated septum, enlarged turbinates and tonsils) or craniofacial/skeletal obstruction (narrow maxilla, constricted maxilla, retrognathic mandible and deviated septum). A normal human sleep cycle comprises of two states – Rapid Eye Movement (REM) and Non-Rapid Eye Movement (Non-REM)
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“ An average person living for 75 years and sleeping for eight hours-a-day, would have spent 25 years of their life sleeping. This is equivalent to 9,125 days of 219,000 hours, and yet we continue to give very little importance to sleep”
