Pre-bedtime oral health routine

Here at your local Egham dentist we probably have a lot more to do with your general health than you might realise. Your oral health and general health are completely linked together.

Symptoms within the body might be caused or linked to an oral issue, and the same goes the other way around, an oral issue might be caused by an issue with the body or be linked to an issue with the body. General habits that affect general health can also affect oral health, and again the other way around; oral health can affect our general habits and our approach to life. With that in mind, we thought you might find it useful to read about the link between brushing your teeth and getting better sleep.

We need good quality sleep to restore, rejuvenate, repair ourselves, grow muscle and lots, lots more. Before we go to sleep, it is important we brush our teeth thoroughly for 2 minutes, spending about 30 seconds on each section of the mouth. It's a really good idea to remove all the sticky plaque from your teeth before going to bed. This means your teeth won't be under attack from any acids, sugars or plaque while you are asleep, and the active ingredients in your toothpaste can set to work.

Brushing your teeth is also important in terms of having a bedtime routine, which lets your brain and body know it is time for sleep.

Here are some other tips to help you sleep well:

• Always try to stick to the same sleep routine if possible, even when you are able to have a lie-in. Your inbuilt body clock likes to be synchronised and working out of that clock is a bad idea for your mind and body.
• Avoid eating large meals after 6pm if possible - after you have had your dinner, it is important you try to avoid eating any more large meals. Your body has to work hard to digest and if you eat late, your body spends the night digesting rather than recuperating. Ingredients in the food like sugar or caffeine may also disturb your sleep.
• Sleep in as dark a room as possible - close the curtains, shut off the landing light and sleep in pitch black if you can.
• Don't exercise before bed - your body needs to be relaxing, not pumping on adrenaline - try to exercise during the day to help regulate your sleep at night
• Sleep in cool conditions - make sure your room is cool and has plenty of ventilation
• Be comfortable - make sure your bed, quilt and pillows are really comfortable to support a good night's sleep.

Is Your Dental Health Stopping You Sleeping Properly?

Sometimes oral issues can stop us sleeping properly or cause us pain or discomfort during the day. For example; toothache can be so painful we are unable to sleep. Or another common dental health issue at night time is bruxism which occurs while we are asleep and causes us pain in the jaw and mouth during the day.

If you're having any issues with your dental health like bruxism or toothache, that are having an effect on your sleep or quality of life, come and visit your Egham dentist in TW20 - the sooner these issues are diagnosed, the sooner we can treat them and help you enjoy comfortable sleep again. Please call us on 01784 432 641 to make an appointment.