Susan Morrison 9/24/25 Susan Morrison 9/24/25

CW Vol 2 Ed. 38 - The Surprising Dental Connection to Mental Health

Feeling Anxious, Tired, or Foggy? Your Dental Health Could Be the Missing Link. This final issue in our dental and airway health series looks at the most powerful connection of all: how your mouth and airway impact your mental health, memory, and long-term brain function. Experts like Dr. Mark Burhenne warn that poor airway health and gum disease don’t just cause cavities or snoring — they ripple into your heart, mood, and even your risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s.

🧠 How Dental & Airway Health Impact Mental Wellbeing

ADHD-like symptoms, depression, and mood instability are strongly linked to sleep-disordered breathing and poor nighttime airway health.

Anxiety, irritability, and fatigue often stem from mouth breathing at night, which disrupts deep, restorative sleep.
Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease risk rises when gum disease fuels systemic inflammation that spreads from the mouth to the brain.
Cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure are linked to both gum disease and disrupted nitric oxide pathways in the mouth, showing how oral health impacts the heart as well as the brain.

“The oral microbiome is our key to longevity and a better life for those last decades in life — and it’s so simple to do.”

—Dr. Mark Burhenne, Ask the Dentist

🔎 Signs Your Mouth May Be Affecting Your Mind

You may recognize some of these from earlier newsletters — and that’s the point. These patterns keep showing up because they connect airway health, dental health, and now mental health:
- Snoring or sleeping with your mouth open
- Morning brain fog or headaches
- Restless sleep despite “enough” hours in bed
- Bleeding gums, frequent cavities, or chronic bad breath
- Feeling anxious, scattered, or unusually fatigued

👅 Proper Tongue Resting Position: A Simple Fix With Big Benefits

One of the easiest ways to improve your airway health starts with where your tongue rests.

When your tongue rests low in the mouth, it can narrow the airway, encourage mouth breathing, and disrupt sleep. But when it rests in the right place, it naturally supports nasal breathing and helps keep the airway open.

How to Find It:

Say the word “no” slowly, and notice where your tongue touches the roof of your mouth when you pronounce the “N.” That spot — just behind your front teeth on the palate — is where your tongue should rest, gently pressing upward.

Why It Matters:

Keeps the airway more open during rest and sleep
Supports nasal breathing over mouth breathing
Encourages healthy jaw and facial development in children
Promotes better sleep, energy, and focus in adults

Need Extra Help?

Sometimes the answer to fatigue, brain fog, or low mood isn’t counseling or medication — but a myofunctional therapist. These specialists use targeted exercises to retrain the tongue and facial muscles, supporting healthy breathing, sleep, and focus.

✅ Everyday Actions to Support Mental Clarity

Breathe through your nose — day and night.
Protect your oral microbiome — avoid harsh mouthwashes and foaming toothpastes that kill good bacteria.
Scrape your tongue — supports nitric oxide, a key molecule for circulation, mood, and brain function.
Care for gums daily — flossing and dental cleanings reduce whole-body inflammation.
Improve sleep hygiene — cool bedroom, open a window, and set a consistent bedtime.
Seek professional care — myofunctional therapists, airway-trained dentists and ENTs can identify and address root causes.

It is NEVER too late to make changes to your breathing and tongue posture through myofunctional therapy!

Learn More

Listen to this podcast hosted by Dr. Mark Berhenne which explains myofunctional therapy here on Spotify.