Posture plays a crucial role in the position of your teeth, and therefore one’s oral health. The specialists working at a dental office in Orleans also confirmed that the position that you find comfortable to sleep in accelerates the movement of the jaw, grinding of teeth, and even saliva which is essential for oral health. 

For example, assuming the side or stomach position puts pressure on the jaw and teeth that may cause some level of discomfort or misalignment. Further, some roles may predispose the individual to certain behaviors such as clenching, which tends to erode the enamel layer. Since learning the connection between your sleeping position and dental problems can be one of the valuable initiatives you can take towards betterment, start analyzing your sleeping position today.

What is the Connection between Teeth Grinding and Posture While Sleeping?

Bruxism or teeth grinding is a usual phenomenon and may get aggravated due to certain sleeping positions. If you lie on your stomach or with your face buried in the pillow, your jaw is in an aperture that causes you to grind your teeth. If carried out frequently, it would cause wearing out of the enamel, sensitive teeth, and even destruction of dental structures. On the other hand, lying on the back might decrease pressure on the jaw and this might help in decreasing the problem of bruxism.

Can poor sleep posture be a reason for patients to have dry mouths?

Even the manner in which you sleep also affects saliva as it is created and distributed around the mouth. That is true, especially for those with poor sleeping habits like back or side sleeping that make you open your mouth and sleep. One of the indications of serious oral health problems is dry mouth because saliva helps to wear down food and neutralize acids. Maintaining a position, which in one way or another assists in keeping your mouth closed whenever one is asleep, for instance altering your head angle or even having appropriate support from the pillows will support saliva production and as such Oral health.

Does the Sleep Position Have an Impact on Jaw Pain?

There are times when your sleeping position is the cause of your jaw pain due to pressure in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Sleeping on your stomach for example can put your head into bad positions to support the jaw’s body weight. This could cause certain discomfort or, concerning existing problems with the jaw, it could worsen them over time. Choosing to sleep on the back with the right positioning of the head and neck could help to lessen strain on the muscles of the jaw and therefore help to tackle pain and eliminate possible developments.

How Does One Ensure Sleep Posture to Achieve Better Mouth Health?

Making changes in the position that you sleep in helps protect your teeth and jaw from damage. Try sleeping on your back using a pillow that will align your head and neck but not apply pressure on the teeth. Lying on your head and using an additional pillow to support your head may also exacerbate the jaw muscle tension. You can also buy a specially modeled pillow to provide the correct cervical spine curvature so that your neck and spine will be aligned during your sleep. This means that making these adjustments can contribute positively to the health of the teeth in the long run.

Conclusion

Sleeping position is not only an important aspect of your overall health, it plays a much bigger part in oral health than most people will ever know. It has been established that improper sleep poses a wide range of dangers, but there are positive impacts of proper sleep posture on your dental health, including; reducing the chances of teeth grinding, and preventing dry mouth and jaw discomfort. It is therefore important that you take time to monitor your sleeping pattern and try to change some slight habits that could be damaging your teeth hence have a healthier mouth and better sleep at night.