Dentist Chad Explains Why Dentistry and Sleep Disturbances are Related:

Sleep disturbances are seemingly more and more common these days.  According to WebMD, there are more than 85 types of sleep disorders.   From lack of sleep to waking-up frequently, these sleep disturbances are causing an inflammatory response in our body.  When this occurs, chronic disease, illness, and even in extreme cases death can occur.

In the past few years, mounds of research has come about explaining the damaging effects of inflammation on the body.  It is inflammation that we as dental professionals try to eradicate with frequent dental cleanings and proper oral hygiene.  Simply, inflammation is inflammation, it can manifest itself throughout  the body in various ways.  Inflammation in the body is linked to heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, gum disease, cancer just to name a few.  Here at my Southern California Cosmetic Dental Wellness office, myself along with my team are focused on promoting total body health by decreasing inflammation in the body.

One may ask: What do my sleep habits have to do with dentistry? Let’s dive into this frequently asked question by the patients at my Riverside Cosmetic Wellness Dental office:

The main offender in sleep disturbances is sleep apnea.   Sleep apnea occurs when breathing stops or becomes very shallow at night.  When sleep apnea is diagnosed as obstructive, it usually is referring to a blockage in the airway.  OSA (obstructive sleep apnea) in most cases is in many cases due to inflammation already present in the body. OSA is linked to diabetes and high blood pressure and in severe cases death.  It is my goal as a dentist to reach out to patients’ on a broader spectrum in regards to their health.  As the majority of my patients’  visit my team of dental hygienists at least twice a year, most do not visit their general physician on a yearly basis.  Therefore,  by screening patients’ for possible sleep disturbances our goal is to decrease our patients’ risk for chronic disease to occur due to inflammation.

When it comes to determining if you or a loved one has sleep apnea, you can find a sleep study test at my Riverside ,Ca. office.  (951)686-3666.