Oral Appliance For Sleep Apnea And Bruxism

Sleep bruxism and sleep apnea.

Oral appliance for sleep apnea and bruxism.

The device treats obstructive sleep apnea by moving the lower jaw slightly forward keeping the airway open. Sleep 32 abstract suppl a218. Simmons jh prehn r airway protection. Can a dentist diagnose sleep apnea.

But it is also considered a sleep related movement disorder characterized by uncontrolled involuntary physical movement during sleep in this case movement of the jaws. Studies show that patients with both bruxism and sleep apnea can dramatically improve both. But dentists can and should be screening for sleep apnea during comprehensive or periodic exams. What is the significance of the relationship between sleep apnea and sleep bruxism.

As a best practices approach towards overall patient health the profession of dentistry has an opportunity and responsibility to address obstructive sleep apnea and related sleep bruxism. Oral appliances for sleep apnea are sometimes used off label for bruxism therapy. In this session we will review the different indications for oral appliances including sleep apnea and temporomandibular joint disorders tmds. Until future research uncovers the exact nature of the relationship between sleep apnea and sleep related bruxism it is hard to know whether the correlation between them is clinically important.

In the majority of situations you can send a take home sleep study kit with your patient. Osa mild to moderate and bruxism. Many types of oral appliances are prescribed to treat various conditions. The luco hybrid osa appliance a two part mandibular advancement dorsal type device has actually been fda cleared for both indications.

Oral appliance therapy is an oral device prescribed by a sleep physician and fitted by a dentist so that it can be comfortably worn during sleep. The missing link between nocturnal bruxism and obstructive sleep apnea. Each state is different when it comes to recommending an oral sleep appliance for your patients.