Albertville, AL
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, sleep apnea is a disorder that affects 25 million American adults. It is characterized by breathing interruptions while sleeping. Obstructive sleep apnea is the most common form of sleep apnea and its most common cause is obesity. During sleep, the soft tissue of the mouth, throat and tongue muscles are relaxed, and soft tissue causes the airway to become blocked.
Pauses in breathing last 10-20 seconds, and they can occur several times each night — up to 100 times in severe cases. Most people don’t recall being startled awake each time they stop breathing during the night, but the frequent sleep-cycle disruptions result in light, restless sleep that impairs concentration and productivity during the day. Sleep apnea has numerous negative effects on a person’s health and can even prove to be fatal when disruptions in the sleep cycle lead to a decrease in mental performance when on the job or behind the wheel of a car, for instance.
Dental issues — including temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, bruxism, and mouth breathing — are associated with sleep apnea, too.
If you’re looking for information on the effects of sleep apnea on teeth, you’ve come to the right place. Our Albertville dentists specialize in sleep apnea and its effects on oral health, and they’ve compiled a list of information that helps explains the associations. Read on for more …
Bruxism
Bruxism is the unconscious grinding and clenching of teeth that can lead to a plethora of dental issues. It interferes with quality sleep and can trigger sleep apnea. And, in fact, research from The Journal of Oral & Facial Pain and Headache found that bruxism may affect up to 31 percent of adults, and at least a quarter of them may have sleep apnea. Tooth grinding or clenching, which usually happens during sleep, overworks the jaw muscles, causing pain in the jaw, face and head. Our family dentists in Albertville can diagnose bruxism and treat it, which usually involves creating a custom nightguard to prevent tooth fractures or the wearing down of teeth.
TMJ Disorder
Research also associates sleep apnea with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. The TMJs are the two joints — one on each side of the face — that connect the lower jaw to the upper jaw and skull. Sometimes, jaw joints don’t function properly and our Gadsden dentists will diagnose a patient with TMJ disorder. TMJ causes pain in the jaw joint and the muscles controlling jaw movement. It can also cause facial pain, chronic headaches, worn teeth, locked jaw, a clicking or popping in the jaw and ringing or pain deep in the ears. Even chewing can be painful. A 2013 study in the Journal of Dental Research found that based on risk factors, the people who were more likely to have sleep apnea were also three times as likely to suffer from TMJ disorder. The study found that people who had two or more symptoms of sleep apnea also had a 73 percent higher risk for a TMJ disorder, regardless of age, race, smoking history or weight.
Mouth breathing
Sleep apnea causes a person to breathe through the mouth during sleep, which can lead to loud snoring and dry mouth. Persistent dry mouth can severely impact a person’s quality of life because of declining gum-and-teeth health, appetite and enjoyment of food. If the mouth isn’t producing enough saliva, it increases a person’s risk of developing plaque buildup, which leads to tooth decay and gum disease. Dry mouth can also cause mouth sores, thrush (an oral yeast infection), cracked lips, sores or splits in the corners of the mouth and poor nutrition. According to the Journal of the Indian Society of Periodontology, gum disease, also called periodontal disease, affects 62 percent of people with sleep apnea.
Sleep Apnea Treatment in Albertville, Alabama
Sleep apnea can have severe and far-reaching impacts on a person’s dental health. But most people don’t even realize they have sleep apnea. A lot of times a sleeping partner realizes it first when they hear snoring and perhaps a pause in breathing during the night. Our Albertville dentists at Wall Street Dentistry can answer any questions you have about treatment for sleep apnea. For more information or to schedule a consultation, reach out to us at (256) 400-2783, or contact us online today.