The Impact of Sleep Disorders on Oral Health: The Role of Family Physicians, Dentists, and Nurses in Early Diagnosis and Intervention

Abstract

Sleep is a fundamental physiological need essential for the restoration of physical and cognitive functions. The impact of disturbed sleep on quality of life is well documented. However, most primary healthcare providers do not screen for or treat sleep disorders. In some cases, the provider may not get a clear medical history or may fail to notice the patient’s sleep disorder symptoms (J Jaiswal et al., 2017). Of all sleep disturbances, a sleep disorder is a significantly higher condition because of its variable presentation and protracted diagnosis process. Symptoms such as uncontrollable prolonged daytime sleep episodes, cataplexy, sleep paralysis, hypnagogic hallucination, and on entering rapid eye movement a sudden loss of muscle tone are typically noted in a patient with narcolepsy. Given that these are dysfunctions of the central nervous system (CNS) and are not detectable by general physical examinations, narcolepsy is an especially challenging disorder to detect by primary care providers and other medical professionals. Early diagnosis is important in treating narcolepsy. Therefore, to raise awareness of sleep disorders, especially narcolepsy, to primary care providers, dentists, and nurses, this review aimed to summarize the physiological mechanisms of sleep disorders, signs of possible sleep disorders, treatments for sleep disorders, and bilevel airway positive pressure equipment treatment with a dental prosthesis. Due to the regular role of oral health in routine medical exams and to help raise precedent occasions for early diagnosis and treatment as individuals regularly visit their primary care providers, dentists, or hospitals for diagnosis and treatments.