Gary S. Rafal, D.D.S.
Which Sleep Position is Best?
How important is your sleep posture to your dental health? More important than you may think. Researchers dating back to the early 1930’s have discovered that certain malocclusions (bad bites) develop because of longstanding sleeping habits. Dentally speaking, we are now aware that sleeping on your side can cause improper bites in the back teeth and jaw joint, possible headache problems (from this cause) and even develop overbite and underbite.
The solution is simple, but it must be started early in life because once you develop an individual sleeping posture, it’s hard to change. At the earliest stage possible, try to teach your child to sleep on his or her back. This is the healthiest posture for the body in general as well as the teeth.
Certainly, if your child is undergoing orthodontic treatment, proper sleeping habits can only shorten the treatment time and make it more successful.