Sleeping with mouth open could be as bad for your teeth as a fizzy drink
Research suggests sleeping with your mouth open leads to dangerously high acidity levels
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sleeping with your mouth open can cause as much damage to your teeth as a fizzy drink, a study has found.
Research published in the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation suggests people who sleep with their mouth open are putting themselves at a higher risk of tooth decay than people who breathe through their nose when they sleep.
It said saliva naturally prevents the build-up of plaque on your teeth.
Plaque is a ‘biofilm’ – a film of bacteria that coats the teeth and releases acids that cause tooth decay and gum disease.
But sleeping with your mouth open tends to result in waking up with a dry mouth, because less saliva is produced.
The lack of saliva in your mouth while sleeping means more plaque builds up on teeth because the saliva is not there to help keep the growth under control - creating a higher risk of tooth decay.
The study said a night of sleeping with your mouth open can raise levels of acidity to a 3.6 on the pH scale – which is equivalent of having had a fizzy drink or an orange before bed.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments