The continual tensions between the various components of the body give our jaws their distinctive shape. Suppose you have trouble breathing through your nose because of restrictive anatomy or allergies. In that case, it may cause you to breathe through your mouth instead of your nose while you sleep. This circumstance might change the forces that shape the jaw. Because of this, the jaw position is altered to be further backward. Because of this, the airway becomes increasingly restricted.
Sleep apnea and TMJ are disorders that can occur consecutively and contribute to one another’s severity. According to some estimates, more than 75 percent of persons with TMJ also have sleep breathing issues such as sleep apnea or snoring, and approximately 52 percent of people who suffer from sleep apnea also have TMJ. Understanding the relationship between the two conditions is necessary to administer appropriate treatment for anyone.
What is Sleep Apnea?
A significant sleep problem known as sleep apnea occurs when a person’s breathing repeatedly stops and starts while asleep. If it is not addressed, it may result in loud snoring, fatigue throughout the day, or even more severe conditions such as heart problems or high blood pressure.
Snoring that is caused by this condition is not the same as typical snoring. The most common causes of primary snoring are disorders that affect the nose or throat, sleeping positions (mainly lying on one’s back), being overweight or older, or the use of alcohol or other substances that depress the central nervous system.
The most frequent type of sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea, takes place when the muscles in the throat become relaxed.
The condition known as central sleep apnea happens when your brain fails to provide the appropriate signals to the muscles that govern breathing while sleeping.
People with both obstructive and central sleep apnea are said to have complex sleep apnea syndrome. This condition is also referred to as treatment-emergent central sleep apnea.
Visit a medical professional if you have any suspicions that you could have sleep apnea. Your symptoms may improve, and treatment may reduce your risk of developing heart problems and other complications.
How Are Sleep Apnea and TMJ Linked?
Researchers in medicine have discovered that over half of those who suffer from TMJ also have problems sleeping. People with obstructive sleep apnea frequently have a collapse in their airway, which prompts the body to bring forward the lower jaw in order to open up the airway. This repetitive motion of the TMJ throughout the night can produce stress and tension on the jaw joint, which can, in turn, raise the risk of developing sleep apnea.
Suppose you have a recurring problem with your temporomandibular joint. In that case, it’s called temporomandibular disorder (or TMD, although TMD and TMJ are often used interchangeably).
TMD frequently includes pain, clicking or popping, and tight, sore facial muscles. TMD is also often associated with chronic fatigue syndrome, which, in turn, can worsen your sleep apnea and negatively affect your general health. Think about the relationship between the position of your jaw and the size of your airway when you give it some thought. It is not surprising to learn that sleep apnea and TMD are associated with one another.
In addition to suffering daytime tiredness, difficulties concentrating throughout the day, loud snoring, and abrupt awakenings during the night, you could have sleep apnea. This repetitive motion of the TMJ throughout the night can produce stress and tension on the jaw joint, which can, in turn, raise the risk of developing sleep apnea.
After you have already been diagnosed with sleep apnea, having it can worsen your TMJ symptoms and contribute to the development of new ones.
When the brain detects a decrease in the amount of oxygen in the blood, it sends messages to several other systems in the body, one of which is the heart. These signals tell the heart to pump more forcefully and quickly so that more oxygen can reach the brain. The brain then attempts to open the airway by making contact with the muscles in the jaw, which clench to help stabilize the airway and open it. This recurrent clenching of the jaw during sleep is one of the reasons for nighttime bruxism, and it can contribute to damage to the jaw joint, tooth wear, and other issues.
What are Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Temporomandibular Joint Disorder?
The term “obstructive sleep apnea” refers to the type of sleep apnea that affects the majority of people. It is characterized by periodic pauses in breathing that occur while a person is sleeping. In most cases, it is accompanied by loud snoring, sudden awakenings, and gasping or choking sounds. In difficult situations, this can happen as many as 30 times an hour; each time it does, the patient’s respiration may stop for 10 seconds or longer.
During sleep, excessive relaxation of the throat muscles can cause the airway to become blocked or severely restricted, which can cause an interruption in breathing. The brain is responsible for sensing when this occurs and alerting the rest of the central nervous system so breathing may begin again. When the airway collapses with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the body’s automatic response is to push the lower jaw forward to open the airway. Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is effective in maintaining airway patency in OSA, as are oral appliances that hold the jaw in a forward position. OSA patients frequently experience brief awakenings during these events; however, because these awakenings typically occur so fast, the patients are generally unaware of them. The end effect, a lack of restorative sleep, can lead to various symptoms that can significantly affect one’s life or even put one’s life in danger.
Pain and dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and jaw muscles are referred to collectively under the umbrella name of temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ disorder). It’s also possible for the pain to spread to your face, neck, and ears. The temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which is located on each side of the head just below the ear and connects the mandible to the skull, acts as a sliding hinge, allowing the mandible to move in all directions (back and forth, side to side, and up and down). The temporomandibular joints (TMJs) are the joints in our jaws that enable us to communicate, chew, yawn, and more.
Treatments for Sleep Apnea
Massages performed at home as well as stretching exercises can enhance joint mobility, allowing for more pain-free biting, chewing, and yawning. On the other hand, some dentists specializing in sleep medicine have extensive training in all aspects of the profession, which should include an awareness of the connection between the airway and the jaw joints.
Many sleep dentists may have only had basic training in sleep dentistry, which does not typically cover how to correctly fit a sleep appliance so that it does not aggravate the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). While your physician naturally treats headaches, improper occlusion (your bite) may play a significant role in inevitable headaches and other head and neck pain.
It’s possible that other dentists don’t treat sleep apnea with the same level of care and caution. They might not give much thought to the effect of sleep appliances on the jaw’s musculoskeletal system. Your dentist should take measures of your bite with and without the sleep apnea appliance. These measurements should include the size of the muscle activity that is now present. It will demonstrate whether the oral appliance is putting your jaw in a healthy position so that you can avoid the TMJ associated with your dental device. If you have untreated sleep apnea, you put yourself at a higher risk of having a heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and other severe conditions.
Read more: Can TMJ Go Away On Its Own Without Treatment?
Learn more about TMJ and sleep apnea by consulting with Garza DDS
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of TMJ disorder, please consult with a dental professional. The untreated TMJ can result in ongoing headaches, pain in the face, and other complications, so getting help as soon as possible is essential. At Garza DDS, we specialize in sleep apnea treatment. We provide a wide range of treatment choices to alleviate your symptoms and improve your quality of life. For further information regarding our services and to make an appointment, please visit our website or give us a call today.