Opportunities are vast in today’s time. These opportunities need dedication and hard work to achieve success. Everyone wants to succeed in their jobs and is ready to put in the efforts needed.
With the hustle of today’s life, night shifts have become quite common. Night shifts have become a norm especially in software companies.
Night shifts do affect your sleeping pattern and overall health. But along with that, night shifts have become the unsuspected hazard to dental health.
Night shifts affect dental health in ways like :
Sleeping pattern –
Saliva keeps the mouth healthy by flushing out the food deposits on teeth and keeping teeth healthy. Saliva production is dependent on sleeping patterns of a person. Saliva production is reduced by 50% at night. Less saliva increases chances of cavities and gum diseases.
Eating habits –
Late night working makes one to munch more on snacks and junk food. Snacks do help in keeping one awake but give way to cavities. Constant snacking along with less saliva is the perfect recipe for compromised dental health.
Brushing schedule –
Coming home after a hectic night’s work makes one tired. The person wants to just wind up and take rest. In this scenario, brushing takes a seat back. After constant munching on snacks, teeth are prone to cavities. Not brushing teeth before sleeping causes dental cavities.
Stress –
Stress levels are a lot higher in night shift workers. Stress causes bruxism and clenching of teeth leading to early wear of teeth. Night shift workers also tend to have gastric issues like hyperacidity. This also causes wear of tooth structure.
You cannot escape night shifts but can take some care to prevent dental issues
- Brush your teeth twice everyday – even before sleeping
- Maintain a healthy diet. Prefer to munch on healthy snacks during your night shift.
- Drink lots of water to compensate reduced saliva
- Visit your dentist every 6 months and get dental treatment on time.
