Snoring occurs during a partial blockage of an individual’s airways. When this happens, the passing of air is going to become difficult. When some of the air is forced back into the mouth, negative pressure can occur. Your soft palate is going to begin to vibrate as a consequence of this. The end result will be the condition known as snoring.
One of the most frustrating elements to snoring is the fact that it can come from a variety of different sources. Alcohol and weight gain are two examples. However, believe it or not, one cause of snoring comes down to your wisdom teeth. This is something that occurs frequently, but it is not as widely accepted a cause as alcohol or being overweight.
How Wisdom Teeth Cause Snoring
When wisdom teeth become impacted, they can eventually cause snoring in the individual. Impacted teeth are the ones that become stuck under the jawbone. Some can become fully impacted, which means they are completely below the gum. Others can be only partially impacted, which means they are poking out of the gums. Teeth that have become partially erupted can result in swelling, pain, discomfort, and other undesirable consequences. Flaps of soft tissue over impacted teeth can become infected. This is a condition that is also known as Pericoronitis.
When this condition occurs at night, the pain can cause an individual to open their mouth. They may even sleep with their mouth open. Obviously, this can occur in the middle of the night, and it can occur without anyone realizing it. The combination of an open mouth with an inflamed area can be problematic. It can lead to snoring of varying severity.
Impacted wisdom teeth can cause snoring. Can the same thought be applied to tooth extraction? The answer to this is going to surprise you. There is really no such thing as a definitive answer. The drugs used to put you to sleep can cause your muscles to become too relaxed, which can lead to snoring. The more your throat muscles relax, the easier it is to produce the vibration and sound that creates snoring.
However, this is not a long-term problem. The drugs will eventually wear off. At that point, the snoring should cease. Doctors and dental professionals make it clear in no uncertain terms that extraction is far more preferable to simply living with the impacted tooth.
