Does your spouse complain all the time because of your loud snoring each night? If so, you should know that snoring at night could have negative effects on your oral health. You should also know that snoring loudly each night could be a sign that you have sleep apnea. Here are a few things to understand about this.

Snoring dries the mouth

In order for you to snore, your mouth must be open, and when you sleep with your mouth open, it tends to dry out the mouth. A dry mouth is an uncomfortable feeling and can cause bad breath issues, and this is one of the problems snoring causes. If you wake up feeling like your mouth is really dry, you might struggle with dry mouth symptoms all day long, and it could be a good indication that there is a problem with the snoring you experience while you are sleeping.

Dry mouth increases the risk of cavities

Dry mouth is a common symptom of snoring, but you might not realize that dry mouth is more serious of an issue than just leaving you feeling uncomfortable. Dry mouth is also a condition that increases your risk of cavities, and this is primarily because the saliva your mouth produces actually cleans your teeth. When you have dry mouth, you do not have enough saliva present, which means your teeth will be at risk for cavities, because they are not being cleansed enough throughout the day.

Untreated sleep apnea is very dangerous

While snoring at night does not mean that you automatically have sleep apnea, it is often a common symptom of this condition, and living your life without treatment for this is dangerous if you have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea falls into the category of sleeping disorders, and it leads to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and many other problems. This occurs primarily because of the effects sleep apnea has on your breathing while you sleep. When you sleep with untreated sleep apnea, you will stop breathing many times a night. Each time this occurs, it places extra pressure on your heart. There are several great treatment options for sleep apnea, and you should look into these if you suspect you may have it.

If you snore, you should talk to your dentist about it. Your dentist can give you more information about the effects it has and can help you learn how to find out if you have sleep apnea. For more information, reach out to dental clinics like Folsom Family Dental.