Mar 16, 2026
3 min read
Sleep disturbances or inadequate breathing at night can lead to oral health problems such as bruxism.
Not sleeping well at night or having poor breathing can lead to oral health problems, including grinding, muscle tension, jaw joint pain, gingivitis, increased risk of periodontal disease, and mouth breathing that leads to dry mouth.
Last Friday, March 13, World Sleep Day was celebrated to raise awareness about the importance of good sleep for health and disorders such as insomnia and sleep apnea.On the occasion of this day, the Galician orthodontist Juan Carlos Pérez Varela recalls that a night's sleep is important not only for energy and general well-being, but also for something that is not so obvious to many: oral health and facial development, especially during childhood.
"Sleep is a fundamental moment for cellular repair, hormone regulation and proper functioning of the immune system. However, sleeping poorly or breathing poorly during the night can have direct consequences for the structure of the mouth and face" warns Juan Carlos Pérez Varela, medical director of the MAEX clinic in Santiago de Compostela.In fact, many problems discovered in the orthodontic consultation are related to breathing during sleep, since poor sleep also affects the mouth.
Sleep disturbances or insufficient breathing at night can promote a number of oral health problems, including bruxism (teeth grinding or grinding especially at night), muscle tension and jaw joint pain, increased inflammation of the gums, increased risk of periodontal disease and mouth breathing, which causes dry mouth.Dry mouth, usually in people who breathe through their mouths while sleeping, reduces saliva's natural defenses against bacteria and acids, which increases the vulnerability of teeth and gums.
Breathing, orthodontics and facial development
Night breathing also affects the development of the eyes and mouth, especially during childhood.According to Dr.Pérez Varela, medical director of MAEX Santiago, when a child pulls a string from the mouth for many years, changes occur in the development of facial features.The face is narrow, the upper jaw is narrow, the jaw is receding, the upper teeth are forward, and the tongue is not in the mouth.This combination of features is known as the normal face, adenoid face or mouth breathing face, and is easy to understand when talking.In fact, we work with the ENT service of the Clinical University of Santiago, and we refer patients with bad breath.she got a problem with the jaw and poor airways, "said Juan Carlos Pérez Varela. "Orthodontics is not only to correct the teeth, but we also want to improve breathing.Treatments used include maxillary augmentation and devices that promote head development in growing patients.
In fact, maxillary expansion in children has proven useful in improving nasal breathing in some cases, as reported in the scientific article Pediatric Maxillary Expansion to Treat Nasal Obstruction, of which Juan Carlos Pérez Varela himself is one of the authors.To write this article, they analyzed children with nasal obstruction associated with a narrow jaw treated with maxillary expansion, and concluded that maxillary expansion reduces nasal resistance and increases nasal cavity volume.This improves nasal airflow and symptoms of obstruction
Furthermore, studies have shown that the greater the expansion achieved, the greater the improvement in nasal breathing.This article reinforces the idea that a narrow jaw can cause nasal obstruction and maxillary expansion not only corrects malocclusion, but can also improve nasal breathing in children.
Sleep apnea and health consequences
Shortness of breath is one of the most common breathing problems while resting.It happens when we stop breathing while we sleep, forcing the brain to wake up for a while to breathe again.Even if a person spends many hours in bed, sleep is restless.apathy, irritability, increased risk of high blood pressure and heart problems, and metabolic changes.In children, it can affect growth and learning and can be confused with other symptoms of ADHD," said Pérez Varela.
In these cases, early detection is very important "because during growth we can modify bone growth and improve the respiratory tract, either by enlarging the mouth (enlarging the palate and increasing the volume in the nasal cavity, nasal breathing may be improved) or by developing the mandibular (widely used in children prone to Class II malaria, as it facilitates the development of the ventricle PV).This is something that most adults can solve with surgery.
Galicia, a little less than the recommended hours of sleep
It is important to raise awareness about the quality of rest, especially if you consider the sleeping habits of the population.National studies on rest habits show that the average amount of sleep in Galicia is around 7.1 hours per day, which is slightly less than the 7-9 hours recommended by sleep health specialists.
For this reason, Pérez Varela emphasizes that sleeping well is not only about sleeping more, but also about breathing correctly during sleep."There is a growing awareness that breathing, sleep and mouth development are deeply connected. Early detection of these problems, especially in children, can improve not only oral health, but also general health," said Dr.Reflects Pérez Varela. For this reason, it is very important to try to breathe through the nose (not through the mouth), the nose has two main roles, one is to filter the air (where the hair and mucous membranes trap dust and bacteria), the other is to humidify the air so that it does not irritate the lungs and heat it to reach the appropriate temperature.In fact, calm nasal breathing reduces stress and improves relaxation," concluded Perez Varela.
