Dental Management of Sleep Disorders
And Then There’s Bruxing
During the deep sleep cycle, your jaw and tongue can fall back, blocking your airway. Bruxing, it turns out, is an adaptive mechanism – unconscious movement that helps reopen the airway, getting you breathing again.
But bruxing does more than just interfere with your sleep. It can damage your teeth and jaws, as well. People who have sleep bruxism can also suffer headaches, earaches, jaw pain and jaw joint disorders.
If you suffer from sleep bruxism, you may be experiencing some (or all) of these symptoms. And while mouth guards (splints) can be a solution for many, for some, it can actually make matters worse.
A better solution is to treat the cause – the underlying sleep apnea itself.
CPAP & Oral Appliances
Fortunately, there are good dental solutions available for those with mild to moderate sleep apnea that don’t involve CPAP. We try to improve sleep by introducing lifestyle changes including sleep position, nasal breathing, and sleep environment. If there is a need, appliances will be fabricated which will reposition the tongue and move the lower jaw forward during sleep to maintain an open airway.
We also work closely with your sleep doctor to ensure continuity of care to successfully treat this life-threatening condition.
