Why you shouldn't sleep with your mouth open

A University of Otago study reported in the December 2015 issue of the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation found that sleeping with your mouth open can make the saliva acidic. Dental researcher Joanne Choi says the study helps to explain the observation that people who tend to sleep with their mouths open because of conditions such as sleep apnoea have higher rates of tooth decay.

Other than regular tooth brushing, she didn’t have any specific advice from the study, although she hopes to do further research to investigate what might help to address mouth-breathing acidity.

Correcting the dysfunctional breathing pattern that contributes to the mouth breathing habit is the key to addressing the problem and also in helping resolve disorders like sleep apnoea. Our clinic has helped thousands address these issues and I will be contacting Ms Choi with a proposal to investigate breathing retraining as one option in addressing mouth-breathing acidity and other problems resulting from mouth breathing.

Don't sleep with your mouth open, NZ Herald, 6 February 2016 »

Mouth breathers beware... Radio NZ, 8 February 2016 »

The study was published in the December 2015 issue of the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation »

Chronic Mouth Breathing and its Effect on Your Teeth and Gums »