The connection between bad breath and sleep apnea isn’t one that is easy to analyze, so fasten your seat belts, soon we’ll understand how these are connected.
A couple of weeks ago Orit came into my clinic.
Orit had been to a lot of dentists — the general dentist referred her to a gums expert; the hygienist referred her back to the general dentist . . .
And so it went for several years — she found herself going from one dentist to another in an attempt to find an answer to the problem, but to no avail.
About two months ago, Orit heard that possibly, the bad breath she suffers from could be coming from a dysfunction of the digestive system. So, Orit made an appointment to meet with a doctor specializing in the treatment of the digestive system.
That doctor that diagnosed the nature of her problem advised her to come see me.
Orit did come to see me, and after conducting a thorough medical inquiry, I realized there were a number of factors that could be the related to her bad breath:
- A problem with swollen tonsils (a quick look inside her throat already revealed this was true for her), and she confirmed that she indeed was prone to repeated throat infections.
- A problem of night-time snoring and chronic tiredness with a tendency to sleep apnea disorders.
- A problem of reflux — which was confirmed as a result of the oral examinations I conducted as well as by the specialist working with us who authorized the diagnosis. In addition, there exists a connection of more than 74% between manifestations of sleep apnea disorders and nocturnal reflux.
At present, it has been diagnosed that Orit has a problem involving a number of factors, which collectively contribute to the problem of her bad breath. What can be done to treat her situation? In this situation, correct treatment relates to all three causes of the symptom she is suffering.
For the treatment of her swollen tonsils— it was advised she gargle with salt water and water with chamomile. For the reflux, she was advised to seek consultation with a doctor specializing in the treatment of reflux. In addition, since many times the problem of reflux is connected to yet another problem, treatment can help with both the problems. And for the treatment of sleep apnea disorders, treatment by means of a simple dental device can be implemented. For further reading about treatment of sleep apnea by means of a dental device, you can click on the link here.