Imagine being sound asleep and suddenly you stop breathing. So you startle awake. You start breathing again, and fall back asleep. And it happens over. And over. And over. Over the course of one night, a person may stop breathing hundreds of times! This is the painful reality for people who suffer from sleep apnea, and results in the brain and body not getting enough oxygen. The dangers of sleep apnea include:

High blood pressure

Sleep apnea causes your body to be very stressed, as it essentially goes into a panicked state every time it needs to restart your breathing. Your hormones go on overdrive, increasing your blood pressure. Couple that with the reduced oxygen level and you are a prime candidate for high blood pressure.

Heart disease

The stress of waking up often, alongside the low oxygen levels, make a person much more likely to have some form of heart trouble. It may be atrial fibrillation, strokes, or heart attacks. Since the brain is receiving less oxygen, it has a hard time maintaining all of the background functions that keep us alive – including controlling blood flow to the heart and brain.

Type 2 diabetes

Did you know that if you don’t get enough sleep, your body can’t use insulin correctly? This can ultimately result in type 2 diabetes, and of everyone with type 2 diabetes, at least 80% of them have sleep apnea.

Mental health issues

Not getting enough sleep has a drastic effect on your mental health. It can present as simply being cranky, or as serious depression or anxiety problems. There is good news though, treating the sleep apnea can greatly improve your mental well-being.

Weight gain

Extra weight not only makes you more susceptible to sleep apnea, if you have sleep apnea, it’s harder to lose weight! Luckily, treating sleep apnea will give you more energy – making it easier to lose those extra pounds.

Dentists are often the first medical professional to notice the signs of sleep apnea, since they typically interact with their patients on a more regular basis than a general practitioner. If you are experiencing any of these side effects:

• Lethargy
• Headaches
• Daytime sleepiness
• Snoring, choking, or gasping in your sleep
• Dry mouth
• Insomnia
• Irritability and impaired mental/emotional functioning

Then your dentist may send you to a sleep specialist to be evaluated. If this sounds familiar, call Dr. Chauvin’s office to set up an appointment, as there are other signs that a dentist can look out for in diagnosing sleep apnea.

Although the femur is the strongest bone in the body, the teeth are actually the hardest substance! They have to be in order to stand up to the rigors of chewing. The anatomy and dental structure of our mouths have evolved to make human beings the perfect omnivore; our front teeth (incisors) are designed for biting through and cutting our food, whilst our back teeth (molars) are designed for chewing. This allows us to eat pretty much anything!

Anatomy of the teeth

Adults have 32 teeth, and children have 20. The teeth are held by the bones of the jaw, and have multiple parts:

• Enamel – the tooth’s exterior, which is hard, white, and made primarily of calcium phosphate.
• Dentin – living tissue within the tooth that secrete a hard mineral substance
• Pulp – softer than dentin, pulp contains nerves and blood vessels, which is why cavities and other tooth injuries hurt!
• Cementum – connective tissue that keeps the gums, jawbone, and teeth roots bound together.
• Periodontal ligament – tissue that helps keep the teeth tight inside the jaw.

There are five different main types of tooth within the mouth:

• Incisors – the front four teeth, top and bottom (8 total) that are used for biting and cutting.
• Canines – our “vampire teeth” are four pointed teeth, situated at the edges of the incisors. These are for tearing meat.
• Premolars – we have 8 of these as well, and they are between the canines and proper molars. These help with chewing
• Molars – the best teeth for chewing, they are flat to help grind up food. We have 8 of them.
• Wisdom teeth – these are our third set of molars. There are 4 of them, but as we’ve evolved, our jaws have gotten smaller. Nowadays, in most cases wisdom teeth must be surgically removed to prevent other teeth from being displaced.

Anatomy of the mouth

The mouth is made up of the following components, (in addition to the teeth):

Gums – soft tissue that holds the teeth in place and protects them as well as the jawbone.

Tongue – the tongue is a muscle that we use to speak, chew, and swallow.

Hard palate – this is the hard roof of the mouth that extends from the front teeth towards the back of the jaw.

Soft palate – the soft roof of the mouth back towards the throat.

Cheeks – muscle, fat, and mucous membranes that allow us to chew, swallow, smile, speak, and eat food.

Can a person’s jaw shrink? Short answer, yes. Because the face gains a sunken or collapsed appearance due to bone reduction, it is often referred to as facial collapse. The process can take decades, and may not be immediately noticeable. A dentist is the only one who can accurately diagnose and treat facial collapse. There are a number of reasons why it could happen, the most common being:

Tooth loss

When we lose several teeth (and don’t replace them with dental implants) our body decides that we no longer need our jaw bone. As a result, it begins to reabsorb the bone and break it down, in order to reuse those vitamins and minerals elsewhere. Over time as the jawbone breaks down, it becomes less stable. This is what causes the characteristic sunken or collapsed look in the facial area. Sometimes the chin shrinks, or the area between the mouth and nose will shrink. The process takes 10-20 years, and it may take just as long to notice it. That’s why it’s important to always replace any missing teeth, and to maintain regular dental checkups.

Other causes

In addition to tooth loss, there are other things that could cause our jaw to shrink, such as:

• Periodontal disease – if left untreated, periodontitis will cause progressive bone loss.
• Osteoporosis/osteopenia – can weaken your bones, creating that same instability in the jaw as tooth loss.
• Dentures – when you wear dentures for a long time, between the missing teeth and the additional pressure they cause, bone loss can occur. Additionally, after a certain point, simply wearing the dentures will be painful.
• Cysts or bone cancer – both of these result in bones being destroyed internally.
• Teeth shifting – when teeth are lost, other teeth shift forward to compensate. Eventually, we’re gumming our food, as our chewing teeth have moved forward. Ultimately, this results in pain and additional bone loss.

Prevention

To avoid severe bone loss, always have any lost teeth replaced with a dental implant. Your body will accept the surgical screw as a “root”, thereby still seeing a need for a jaw (and not reabsorbing it). If you do have missing teeth and suspect jaw shrinkage, visit your dentist. They’ll take a complete set of x-rays and be able to tell if you are losing bone mass in your jaw. Fixing facial collapse usually involves dental implants, and bone grafts. The good news is it can be reversed with proper treatment!

After months (or years) of painful visits to the orthodontist, meticulous dental care, and not being able to eat certain foods, it’s finally time for the braces to come off! An exciting time to be sure, but what if your teeth start to revert to their old position as soon as the braces are gone? Unfortunately, braces are not the final step of your orthodontic care. The good news is; the solution is an easy one!

Braces use an extraordinary amount of pressure to force your teeth to move into new positions.  After all, you’re remodeling your bone structure! And the process that started when you had your braces put on doesn’t stop once they come off. Your teeth are still moving, and it will take time for them to settle into their new position. Imagine a thin, springy bar of metal. As long as you hold it in a bent position, it will stay there. As soon as you let it go, it snaps back to its original straightness. Now your teeth won’t instantly move out of their new positions, but over time, they’ll begin to drift back to their original place. Enter – the retainer.

There are three different types of retainer that your orthodontist will choose, and you’ll need to wear it all day, every day, for a minimum of six months.

•         A fixed retainer – this is a wire that’s cemented in place behind your back teeth, and can either go around the front of your teeth, or on the backside.
•         A Hawley retainer – this retainer is made from a metal guide wire and acrylic that is fitted to your mouth. This is the most common type of retainer.
•         Clear retainer – these are clear trays that are custom fitted to your mouth and simply slide over your teeth.

The amount of time you need to wear the retainer during the day will depend on your orthodontist’s discretion, and after that, you’ll need to wear the retainer every night for the rest of your life. Your teeth will always want to revert to their original position and for the most part, a retainer will prevent them from doing so. Most adults that need braces are patients who didn’t wear their retainer as they should have, and have their teeth have begun to retreat to their original position.

You must also continue to take excellent care of your teeth, and to watch carefully for teeth shifting. It’s far easier to correct a small problem, than to let a small problem snowball into a much larger one. If you’re concerned that your teeth have begun to shift, call Dr. Chauvin’s office to set up an appointment.