Sleep Disorders and TMJ Treatment
What’s the connection between TMJ and sleep disorders like sleep apnea? And how can your North Kansas City dentist help with both?
Recent studies have uncovered a striking link between the jaw pain of temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ) and sleep-disordered breathing associated with snoring and sleep apnea. Global studies comparing populations with both problems discovered that rates of TMJ problems were almost double in patients who also had diagnosed sleep disorders! Here at NKC Dental in North Kansas City, MO dentists experienced in diagnosing and treating the connected causes of both issues can help you get jaw pain relief and a better night’s sleep. First, let’s discuss each condition separately, then we will discuss the links between them—and how we can help.
What is TMJ Jaw Pain?
TMJ is the acronym that stands for “temporomandibular joint”—the two-point sliding hinge joint connecting your lower jawbone to your skull on each side. TMJ disorder refers to painful inflammation of the muscles and supportive tissues. The jaw pain makes it difficult to talk, chew, yawn, and sleep. TMJ can originate from excess stress on the jaw joint from clenching your jaw, an injury, osteoarthritis, or bruxism—the act of grinding your teeth subconsciously in your sleep. You may not even know you’re doing that. One symptom of bruxism is excessively worn teeth. Another may be sleep disturbances like snoring and sleep apnea!
What is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is one type of sleep disorder characterized by snoring and irregular breathing during sleep. When people with sleep apnea fall asleep, the muscles supporting the soft palate in the back of the throat relax, narrowing the airway as your body tries to inhale. Studies suggest your jaw movement and positioning may also play a role in this narrowing.
As your blood oxygen level drops, your body may choke, gasp, or cough to get the air to move. Your jaw might also be moving and tensing up for the same reason, complicating your TMJ issues. You only slightly awaken to change positions so you can breathe again, so you may not even know it’s happening unless your partner tells you because it wakes them up too! You may go in and out of light sleep periods and never quite reach the deep sleep states your body needs for rest and regeneration. If you’ve been told frequently that you snore a lot, even though you spend at least 8 hours “sleeping”, but are always tired and groggy during the day, you should ask your doctor for sleep testing to see if you have sleep apnea or any other sleep-disordered breathing problems. These sleep disorders can cause or aggravate other serious physical and mental health problems if not treated, including:
- Irritability
- Exhaustion and fatigue
- Difficulty focusing
- Anxiety
- Depression
- High blood pressure
- Type II diabetes
- Immune system weakness
Snoring Appliances
Here at NKC Dental, we use the latest technological advances to help people struggling with TMJ and sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea. After examining your mouth, jaw joint, and medical history, we can provide you with mouthguards that help prevent nighttime bruxism (teeth grinding). The appliances can also pull your lower jaw gently forward to open your airway more as you sleep. We create custom snoring appliances that are molded to your teeth so they feel more comfortable and are generally easier and more comfortable to wear than other forms of sleep apnea treatment.
TMJ Treatment
Dental TMJ treatment has to address the causes behind the disorder to be fully effective. While many people struggle (often unknowingly) with bruxism, some people clench their teeth during the day as a stress response. We may suggest using stress-relief techniques like mindfulness, meditation, and breathing to help you stop daytime jaw clenching. During TMJ flare-ups, we often recommend eating softer foods to relax the jaw muscles. You can also apply ice and heat alternatively to lower inflammation. We may also recommend anti-inflammatory medications. If, after examining your jaw and medical history, we decide creating a TMJ mouthguard is your best option, we can make a personalized device that addresses your TMJ and your snoring.
Sleep Apnea Treatment
If your medical doctor diagnoses you with sleep apnea, they will recommend lifestyle changes based on your individual needs. Sleep positioning, allergies, obesity, smoking, and stress can all affect sleep-disordered breathing, so you should work on any of those factors that affect your sleep apnea. In severe cases, your doctor may recommend wearing a “Continuous positive airway pressure’ (CPAP) mask connected to a machine overnight. Many patients, however, find these loud and uncomfortable, making it even harder to sleep. That only defeats the purpose of using the machine. If you find yourself in this situation, contact your North Kansas City, MO dentists here at NKC Dental to schedule an appointment to discuss TMJ mouthguards and snoring appliances that may be able to address both problems at once. They are silent, comfortable, and can help you sleep much better.
