{"id":134,"date":"2014-02-03T09:30:45","date_gmt":"2014-02-03T14:30:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.drwolnik.com\/blog\/?p=134"},"modified":"2016-07-31T11:05:48","modified_gmt":"2016-07-31T15:05:48","slug":"sleep-apnea-teeth-grinding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.drwolnik.com\/blog\/sleep-apnea-teeth-grinding\/","title":{"rendered":"Sleep Apnea & Teeth Grinding"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\"Sleep<\/a><\/b>Your dentist can help you keep your smile healthy and bright, but did you know that dentists can also play an important role in keeping your body healthy? By keeping an eye out for the signs of bruxism, or teeth grinding, your dentist can detect clues that you might be experiencing a potentially dangerous disorder called Obstructive <\/b>Sleep Apnea<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Dr. Wolnik speaks about Sleep Apnea on Cleveland Now<\/a><\/p>\n

What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?<\/b><\/h2>\n

Obstructive sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that occurs when the tongue softens during sleep and moves towards the back of the airway. During sleep, the mandible also has a tendency to retract as the face muscles relax, which causes further regression of the tongue towards the back of the throat.<\/p>\n

In people with narrow craniofacial anatomy, this can lead to the blocking of the airways during sleep. This blockage causes you to pause in breathing, which is known as sleep apnea. Sleep apnea reduces the restorative quality of sleep and can lead to excessive daytime sleepiness, trouble concentrating, headaches, dry mouth, and even raises the risk of developing serious conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.<\/p>\n

What is Bruxism? <\/b><\/h2>\n

Bruxism is a clenching and grinding of teeth during sleep that can lead to broken teeth, damaged tooth enamel, headaches, and temporomandibular joint (TMJ<\/a>) disorders. Although almost everyone clenches or grinds their teeth at some point, some people do it so frequently that it can become a serious issue. A 2004 study showed that approximately 10 percent of the adult population experiences clinically significant bruxism during sleep.<\/p>\n

The Bruxism\/Sleep Apnea Connection<\/b><\/h2>\n

So, how are the two conditions related? Doctors and dentists have discovered that, during sleep apnea episodes, one of the most common defenses against the softening of the jaw and tongue that leads to breathing pauses is to instinctively clench the teeth. This helps hold the mandible in place, which can help fight the retrusion of the tongue that leads to blocked airways. Clinical research has shown that the majority of the cases of severe nocturnal bruxism exist in conjunction with sleep apnea, and proper treatment of obstructive sleep apnea can also significantly decrease nighttime teeth clenching and grinding.<\/p>\n

How Your Dentist Can Help<\/b><\/h2>\n

By paying close attention to the signs of bruxisum in your teeth, your dentist can determine whether or not you might be experiencing obstructive sleep apnea. In fact, in many cases, dentists are the ones to notice the potential symptoms of OSA and can advise their patients to seek medical care and a sleep study. The signs and symptoms of teeth grinding that your dentist will be on the lookout for include:<\/p>\n