A group of researchers from the University of Otago, Dunedin, in New Zealand conducted a survey to examine the relationship between sleeping with your mouth open and dental cavities. This is a dangerous practice for your teeth; saliva is already reduced while you sleep, and breathing through your mouth serves to further dry out your mouth. Since saliva represents one of your body’s best defense mechanisms against tooth decay, habitually sleeping with your mouth open invites tooth decay.
Participants in this study wore a device that monitored the acidity in their mouths while they slept. Their findings were that, when you sleep with your mouth open, your pH drops down as low as 3.6. Since tooth enamel starts to break down at a pH of 5.5, this is a worrisome figure.
Should you experience a dry feeling in your mouth or a sore throat when you wake every morning, you might be sleeping with your mouth open. Talk to our Lynnwood dentistry clinic to explore how you might protect your teeth from excessive decay.
