Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) happens when your throat muscles relax and block the airway, creating intermittent periods of reduced oxygen flow. When this happens, you wake up gasping for breath. TMJ disorders like bruxism and teeth grinding can also exacerbate Sleep Apnea and TMJ Clinic Connecticut symptoms. This is why addressing both disorders with comprehensive treatment approaches is crucial.
Symptoms
Symptoms of TMJ disorders and sleep apnea often overlap. In fact, many of our patients present with symptoms of one disorder and actually have both. This is largely due to the misalignment of the jaw, which affects your ability to breathe, leading to interrupted or restless sleep.
The most common type of sleep apnea is called obstructive sleep apnea. This is caused when the throat muscles relax allowing the soft tissue at the back of the throat to sag and narrow the airway. This prevents oxygen from reaching the lungs and causes you to gasp or choke in an effort to breath again. This cycle continues multiple times throughout the night resulting in a poor quality of sleep.
This can cause daytime fatigue, difficulty concentrating and mood changes. It also increases your risk of motor vehicle accidents and workplace injuries due to decreased alertness. In addition, long-term sleep loss can increase the likelihood of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and depression.
Diagnosis
Snoring is a key indicator of sleep disorders, and our team at Shoreline Dental Care can identify the cause of your problem. Loud and chronic snoring is caused by airway blockage and can lead to more serious conditions like obstructive sleep apnea and hypersomnia (excessive daytime sleepiness).
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when your upper breathing passage becomes blocked, reducing or stopping oxygen flow. It has been linked to excessive tiredness, poor concentration and depression. It also increases your risk of high blood pressure, heart problems and irregular heartbeats, as well as Type 2 diabetes.
Central sleep apnea, which happens when the brain doesn’t send proper signals to trigger breathing, can be associated with congestive heart failure and stroke. Other risk factors include smoking, being overweight and a narrow neck. A mandibular advancement device like Silent Nite can help you breathe better and alleviate your symptoms of snoring and sleep apnea, while also helping to reduce TMJ disorder from clenching or grinding your teeth during the night.
Treatment
Obstructive sleep apnea causes repeated pauses in breathing during slumber, which can reduce oxygen levels to dangerously low levels. This can have a severe effect on cardiovascular health, which is why it is important to be diagnosed and treated.
Repeated cycles of decreased oxygen lead to a wide variety of symptoms including fatigue, memory problems, poor concentration, loss of motivation and depression. In addition, people suffering from sleep apnea are at an increased risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and stroke.
Our dentist can work in partnership with sleep specialists to provide a range of effective treatments for sleep apnea. These include mandibular advancement devices and tongue retaining mouthpieces that are personalized for comfort. They are much smaller and lighter than a CPAP machine, making them more comfortable to wear and easier to use. They also help patients to breathe more easily during slumber and wake up feeling refreshed. They can be used in conjunction with other sleep apnea treatment methods, such as surgery and a CPAP machine.
Prevention
A full night’s rest is essential to good health. Untreated sleep disorders may contribute to fatigue, irritability, weight gain and heart disease. Sleep apnea and TMJ disorders can cause headaches, facial pain, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), jaw pain or grinding and generalized muscle discomfort.
Patients with obstructive sleep apnea experience brief, intermittent stops in breathing during their sleep that disrupt the normal sleep cycle and leave them feeling exhausted throughout the day. Over time, this can damage their quality of life and increase the risk for serious medical conditions such as high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, diabetes and dementia.
People who are at risk for obstructive sleep apnea include men, those who are overweight, those with a history of heart disease or diabetes and those who smoke. In addition, some medications may aggravate sleep apnea symptoms such as alcohol or sleeping pills because they relax the muscles in the throat. A custom-made oral appliance can prevent airway collapse, reducing or eliminating apneas and improving sleep quality.