Teeth Grinding and Sleep Apnea

Rose knows that The American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) found that nearly 1 in 4 patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) suffer from teeth grinding or bruxism during the night. Teeth grinding is more common in white males than any other ethnic group. In the US, 8% of the population experience bruxism, a condition associated with preexisting dental or jaw disorders, as well as stress. Other factors may explain the relationship between sleep apnea and teeth grinding including anxiety and caffeine use.

Men also are known to suffer from severe sleep apnea and sleep bruxism is usually related to an arousal response. Arousal responses such as snoring, gasps, mumbles, grunting and teeth grinding are symptoms of sleep apnea. If sleep apnea is untreated it can cause other health issues like; depression and daytime restlessness. Day time restlessness causes a person to drink more caffeinated beverages which has been associated with a high risk of bruxism. Caffeinated beverages also are related to gastroespohageal reflux of GERD. In a study with 150 men and 150 women by Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX, results concluded that a little more than 25% suffered from bruxism, while 35% complained of GERD. Further results found that white men had a higher rate of bruxism and African-American men complained of acid reflux or GERD.

Results from untreated bruxism can lead to tooth wear and decay, periodontal tissue damage, jaw pain, and temporomandibular joint or TMJ pain, headaches, and sleep disturbances for patients and their bed partners. My father suffers from untreated bruxism and all his teeth are worn down. Since bruxism happens while sleeping many people may not get treatment because they don’t realize that it causes other health issue due to the fact that it takes time for the symptoms to appear. Men usually don’t get treatment until they experience dental pain. Studies do suggest that sleep bruxism is related to OSA and a CPAP machine may be necessary to keep airways unobstructed as well as eliminate bruxism and manage a patient’s sleep disorder.

According to the American Sleep Apnea Association; there are three types of apnea: obstructive, central, and mixed; of the three, obstructive is the most common. Despite the differences, all three cause people to stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep.

Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by a blockage of the airway, usually when the soft tissue in the rear of the throat collapses and closes during sleep. In central sleep apnea, the airway is not blocked but the brain fails to signal the muscles to breathe. Mixed apnea, as the name implies, is a combination of the two. With each apnea event, the person temporarily arouses during their sleep in order for them to resume breathing, but sometimes their sleep partner is the only one aware that they have stopped breathing. A person can stop breathing many times during the night and as long as a minute.

Untreated, sleep apnea can cause high blood pressure and other cardiovascular disease, memory problems, weight gain, impotency, teeth grinding and headaches. Fortunately, sleep apnea along with teeth grinding can be diagnosed and treated. If you feel you are suffering either from sleep apnea or teeth grinding, it is recommended to see your physician or your dentist.