Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Sleep Apnea?Connection to Oral HealthSleep Apnea in ChildrenWhat to Look ForTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Connection to Oral Health
Sleep Apnea in Children
What to Look For
Treatment
Sleep problems, such as snoring and insomnia, can be signs of a sleep disorder called sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can contribute to oral health problems and dental problems can also cause sleep apnea. Learn more about the connection between sleep apnea and your oral health.
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Because sleep apnea disrupts the sleep cycle, this zaps daytime energy and mental performance and affects long-term health.
Untreated sleep apnea can be fatal because it can cause oxygen drops, increasedblood pressure, and heart strain.
Common symptoms of sleep apnea include:
In addition to the above, symptoms in women include anxiety, depression,insomnia, and various sleep disturbances such as frequent wakening. Children may experienceasthmaexacerbation, hyperactivity, bed-wetting, and academic performance problems.
The major risk factors of sleep apnea are being overweight, a family history of snoring or sleep apnea, and being male. Additional risk factors include:
Good, quality sleep keeps you healthy and reduces bad breath, mouth ulcers, and development and progression ofperiodontal disease(gum disease). Dental problems associated with sleep apnea include TMJ disorders, bruxism, and mouth breathing.
TMJ
Evidence suggeststemporomandibular joint(TMJ) disorders and sleep apnea go hand-in-hand. The TMJ connects the lower jaw to the upper jaw. You have two TMJ joints, one on each side of your face.
Symptoms of a TMJ disorder include:
One 2013 study reported in theJournal of Dental Researchfound people who were more likely to have sleep apnea (based on risk factors) were also three times more likely to suffer from a TMJ disorder. The study also found people with two or more signs of sleep apnea had a 73% higher risk for a TMJ disorder regardless of their age, race, smoking history, or weight.
Bruxism
Bruxismis simply a fancy name for grinding the teeth or clenching the jaw. While it can happen at any time, it frequently occurs while a person is asleep. Bruxism has negative effects on your sleep, including waking up unrefreshed and with headaches and neck and jaw pain. Research fromThe Journal of Oral & Facial Pain and Headachesuggests bruxism may affect up to31%of adults, and at least a quarter of them may have sleep apnea.
Bruxism is considered a sleep-related disorder because it causes uncontrolled and involuntary movement of the jaw during sleep.
It is quite possible you may not even know if you suffer from bruxism, but your dentist may discover evidence during a cleaning exam.
Signs can range from loose teeth to eroded tooth surfaces, or cracked, chipped, and broken teeth. If your dentist observes symptoms, he or she may ask about muscular pain in your head, neck, face, and jaw, as well as dryness of your lips, mouth, and throat upon awakening.
Mouth Breathing
Sleep apnea causes a person to breathe through the mouth (mouth breathing).Mouth breathingresults in dry mouth and leads to tooth decay. Additional consequences of dry mouth are plaque, mouth sores, gingivitis (gum inflammation), and periodontal disease.
According toresearch reportedin theJournal of the Indian Society of Periodontology, periodontal disease affects 62.3% of people with sleep apnea andgingivitisaccounts for 34.1% of people with sleep apnea.
Up to4%of children between ages two and eight have sleep apnea, according to The American Sleep Apnea Association. Childhood sleep apnea comes with many health risks, including the risk to oral health, which is often overlooked. Sleep issues in children typically involve mouth breathing, which can create serious problems with their teeth and gums.
Some symptoms of sleep apnea are specific to dental problems. Dental symptoms to look out for in both adults and children include:
Be sure to discuss the above symptoms with your dentist. He or she may suggest ways to alleviate them. Your medical doctor can determine if your symptoms are related to sleep apnea or other sleep disorder.
Your dentist can help you to alleviate dental symptoms through behavior modifications including improving sleep quality, managing your dental health, orthodontic treatment to repair problems with teeth misalignment, treatments for dry mouth, and/or a dental mouthpiece to manage grinding and clenching.
Mouthpieces can be custom-made through dental facilities and can be quite pricey, but they are life-changing in that they can dramatically improve sleep and reduce dental problems. There are increasingly more options for mouthpieces that are accessible online and less expensive as well. Just be sure to discuss these with your dentist before purchasing.
A Word From Verywell
Sleep disorders affect health in many ways and a good night’s sleep is important to feeling refreshed and energized as well as for your mental and physical health. If you are concerned you may have sleep apnea, talk to your medical doctor about getting tested to determine the cause of your sleep troubles. Be sure to ask about all the treatment options available, including CPAP machines and dental devices, to figure out what treatments best work for your unique situation.
Types of Sleep Apnea Treatments
SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Rising prevalence of sleep apnea in U.S. threatens public health. Published September 29, 2014.American Sleep Apnea Foundation.Children’s Sleep Apnea.Latorre C, Escobar F, Velosa J, et al.Association between obstructive sleep apnea and comorbidities with periodontal disease in adults. J Indian Soc Periodontol. 2018 May-Jun; 22(3): 215–220. DOI: 10.4103/jisp.jisp_38_18.Manfredini D, Winocur E, Guarda-Nardini L, et al.Epidemiology of bruxism in adults: a systematic review of the literature. J Orofac Pain. 2013 Spring; 27(2):99-110. DOI: 10.11607/jop.921.National Sleep Foundation.The Link Between Sleep Apnea and Teeth Grinding.Sanders AE, Essick GK, Fillingim R, et al. Sleep Apnea Symptoms and Risk of Temporomandibular Disorder. J Dent Res. 2013 Jul; 92(7 Suppl): S70–S77. doi:10.1177/0022034513488140Tamasa B, Godfrey G, Nelson T, et al. Oral health status of children with high risk of sleep-disordered breathing. Journal of Dental Sleep Medicine. 2018;5(2):31–38. doi:10.15331/jdsm.7020
Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Rising prevalence of sleep apnea in U.S. threatens public health. Published September 29, 2014.American Sleep Apnea Foundation.Children’s Sleep Apnea.Latorre C, Escobar F, Velosa J, et al.Association between obstructive sleep apnea and comorbidities with periodontal disease in adults. J Indian Soc Periodontol. 2018 May-Jun; 22(3): 215–220. DOI: 10.4103/jisp.jisp_38_18.Manfredini D, Winocur E, Guarda-Nardini L, et al.Epidemiology of bruxism in adults: a systematic review of the literature. J Orofac Pain. 2013 Spring; 27(2):99-110. DOI: 10.11607/jop.921.National Sleep Foundation.The Link Between Sleep Apnea and Teeth Grinding.Sanders AE, Essick GK, Fillingim R, et al. Sleep Apnea Symptoms and Risk of Temporomandibular Disorder. J Dent Res. 2013 Jul; 92(7 Suppl): S70–S77. doi:10.1177/0022034513488140Tamasa B, Godfrey G, Nelson T, et al. Oral health status of children with high risk of sleep-disordered breathing. Journal of Dental Sleep Medicine. 2018;5(2):31–38. doi:10.15331/jdsm.7020
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Rising prevalence of sleep apnea in U.S. threatens public health. Published September 29, 2014.American Sleep Apnea Foundation.Children’s Sleep Apnea.Latorre C, Escobar F, Velosa J, et al.Association between obstructive sleep apnea and comorbidities with periodontal disease in adults. J Indian Soc Periodontol. 2018 May-Jun; 22(3): 215–220. DOI: 10.4103/jisp.jisp_38_18.Manfredini D, Winocur E, Guarda-Nardini L, et al.Epidemiology of bruxism in adults: a systematic review of the literature. J Orofac Pain. 2013 Spring; 27(2):99-110. DOI: 10.11607/jop.921.National Sleep Foundation.The Link Between Sleep Apnea and Teeth Grinding.Sanders AE, Essick GK, Fillingim R, et al. Sleep Apnea Symptoms and Risk of Temporomandibular Disorder. J Dent Res. 2013 Jul; 92(7 Suppl): S70–S77. doi:10.1177/0022034513488140Tamasa B, Godfrey G, Nelson T, et al. Oral health status of children with high risk of sleep-disordered breathing. Journal of Dental Sleep Medicine. 2018;5(2):31–38. doi:10.15331/jdsm.7020
American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Rising prevalence of sleep apnea in U.S. threatens public health. Published September 29, 2014.
American Sleep Apnea Foundation.Children’s Sleep Apnea.
Latorre C, Escobar F, Velosa J, et al.Association between obstructive sleep apnea and comorbidities with periodontal disease in adults. J Indian Soc Periodontol. 2018 May-Jun; 22(3): 215–220. DOI: 10.4103/jisp.jisp_38_18.
Manfredini D, Winocur E, Guarda-Nardini L, et al.Epidemiology of bruxism in adults: a systematic review of the literature. J Orofac Pain. 2013 Spring; 27(2):99-110. DOI: 10.11607/jop.921.
National Sleep Foundation.The Link Between Sleep Apnea and Teeth Grinding.
Sanders AE, Essick GK, Fillingim R, et al. Sleep Apnea Symptoms and Risk of Temporomandibular Disorder. J Dent Res. 2013 Jul; 92(7 Suppl): S70–S77. doi:10.1177/0022034513488140
Tamasa B, Godfrey G, Nelson T, et al. Oral health status of children with high risk of sleep-disordered breathing. Journal of Dental Sleep Medicine. 2018;5(2):31–38. doi:10.15331/jdsm.7020
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