As unattractive as it might sound (and look), we admit that we regularly wake up to find ourselves on the sofa, heads bent back and mouths wide open.
It’s a fact of life but it seems that you don’t just have to worry about getting caught in the position, you also need to worry about the effect it could be having on your teeth.
A study, conducted by researchers at Otago University and published in the
Journal of Oral Rehabilitation, found that those who sleep whilst breathing through their mouths have higher levels of acidity.
Whilst both groups of volunteers – those who breathe through their mouth and those who breathe through their noses – were found to have increased levels of acidity in their mouths, levels were greater over a longer period in those who breathe through their mouths.
In fact, some levels were equal to those found after consuming a fizzy drink and surpassed the level at which tooth enamel starts to break down.
Post-graduate student Joanne Choi said:
"This study is the first to continuously monitor intra-oral pH changes in healthy individuals over several days. Our findings support the idea that mouth-breathing may indeed be a causal factor for dental diseases such as enamel erosion and caries."
If you or your kids have troublesome teeth, check out these suggestions for homemade lollies which are said to soothe those pearly whites!
