CPAP Dental problems

[GotAir]

Does anyone know anything about CPAP and mouth breathing through a face mask? The dry mouch fosters bacteria even with impeccable hygiene.

Is it possible that teeth dry out and are ruined by mouth breathing with CPAP?

[oldgearhead]

Hi and welcome to hose-head land.

I'm not really sure what you are asking. But that never stops me from rambling on.

1) You can get dry mouth while wearing a nasal only mask. This happens because the mouth drops open when you doze off. The problem this causes is loss of effective treatment pressure and dry mouth. This cannot continue. Therefore, the patient must find a means of stopping the air flow from the mouth. Chin straps, dental devices, and taping the mouth closed are the first options. I full-face mask (covers both the nose and mouth) is another option.

2) You can also get dry mouth with a full-face mask, but this is not so critical because you are not losing treatment pressure.

3) I have never heard of dry teeth.

[CollegeGirl]

GotAir - yes, it's possible. But the alternative is ruining your heart, your brain, other major organs - damaging them every time you sleep. Which is worse?

In my opinion - dentures are yucky. But a stroke or a heart attack is much, much worse.

You have to stop mouth leaks somehow or you're not getting the full amount of pressure you need to keep your airway open, and you'll still have apneas. How you choose to stop that leak (full face mask, taping, chin strap, some combination of these) is up to you.

[GotAir]

Thank you gearhead and college girl.

Yes, I agree that breathing through a face mask can damage teeth but the alternatives are worse.

I do not know if it is the bacteria that eat away the teeth because of the lack of saliva or the drying out of the teeth which is bad. Any ideas on how to prevent damaging the teeth? Is there a dentist in the house?

[Howkoolguy]

Gotair,

I am not a dentist, but have seen my teeth get worse during the last 18 months on CPAP with a full face mask. Drying out of mouth does increase plaque and bacteria on teeth. Dentist recommended Crest mouthwash product (forgot exact name). Helps with teeth and gum disease by killing bacteria. Product comes in blue (mint) and green (wintergreen) flavors. The blue is not too bad and seems to be making a difference.

[GotAir]

thanks Howkookguy. Thanks for the mouthwash tip. I have noticed a slight thinning of the upper front teeth where I breath. I wear a full fasce mask because of chronic congestion with CPAP. The lower edges of the upper front teeth are thinning out. I have seen a change in uniform color to one of a mottled nature. As I said before my hygene is very good. No cola, candy, etc. Good diet, brushing, flossing, etc.

Teeth are used to being in a wet enviroment with the saliva protecting them. The air flow takes this protection away. Do you think it is the bacteria and plaque or something with just the drying of the teeth that causes the problems?

If you could share what is happening with your teeth, I would appreciate it or PM me.

[ldemmery]

Perhaps brushing your teeth before bed and as soon as you wake up might be in order eh? (Yes, I'm canadian, thus the eh)

Lynne (in ottawa)

[Guest]

Not usually a mouth breather except when congested, but I would think it is similar to how my mouth was years ago during a surgical hospital stay when I could drink nothing for several days. There was a swab with some kind of solution on it the nurses used to clean my mouth. I would think that in a medical, particularly a rehab type facility, they have to address this problem. If the moisture balance in oral tissues is off, it stands to reason bacteria could become out of balance also, and some bacteria found in the mouth have been associated with other health risks such as stomach ulcers and coronary artery disease, although I have no idea if or how that would be relevant to this original discussion. I just googled oral bacteria and read enough to see that it's a subject that I'm real surprised there hasn't been more discussion about. Bad breath, deteriorating teeth, and periodontal disease are legitimate cause for concern in their own right, but they can signal the presence of other risks. Surely there is something out there (a solution of some sort) that protects oral surfaces. The average dry mouth from mouth breathing is bad enough during normal sleep, but surely could not compare to the accelerated drying of a FF mask user. Short of addressing issues causing mouth breathing, you are right in looking for an answer from someone in the dental community. Just a thought... wonder if wearing something like those little trays that fit over your teeth for whitening or like the clear covers for dental braces would make matters worse or better? Thanks for bringing up this topic. Has this not been a much discussed topic before because it's not a common problem, not a health issue, or because its time had not yet come? Wouldn't it be a real kick-in-the-teeth if one's cpap treatment reduced one cardiac risk and increased another? Sure would like the medical/dental professionals to weigh in on this, if for no other reason than to say "no need to be concerned".
Kathy

[kteague]

Sorry, not trying to sneak in with prior post. Thought I was logged in. Good thing I wasn't sneaking since we can't get by with that any more!
Kathy