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Sleep Apnea & Snoring

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition characterized by periods where you stop breathing for ten seconds or more while you’re asleep. It can occur hundreds of times every night, but you may not be aware of it because you don’t fully wake up. Only when your bed partner tells you’re snoring, choking, and gasping for air in your sleep do you realize something’s wrong – despite feeling like you never can get a good night’s sleep.

Research has indicated an association between sleep apnea and TMJ – temporomandibular disorder. Your struggle to breathe at night can cause your sleep to be fragmented and your brain to become aroused, which may cause you to clench and grind your teeth – a common cause of TMJ problems.

Sleep Quality & Quantity

A great deal of science supports the concept that poor sleep quality and insufficient sleep quantity can cause muscle and joint pain or make it worse. If you have obstructive sleep apnea, you’re not sleeping well, which can explain why you have pain in your jaws or other parts of your body.

Because of the studies that suggest an association between sleep apnea and TMJ, at New York TMJ and Orofacial Pain, we spend a great deal of time discussing and assessing your sleep patterns because insomnia and breathing disorders have the potential to add complexity to your case.

If you suspect you have a combination of sleep apnea and TMJ, you’re in the right place. We have decades of experience helping people like you get relief from your painful jaw problems and get a better night’s sleep.

Make an appointment at 888-560-6674. (If you can’t call, complete this quick form , and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.)

Sleep Apnea Without TMJ – We Treat That, Too

Though the majority of patients who are referred to New York TMJ and Orofacial Pain are seeking care for pain, we also see many patients who’ve been referred strictly for oral appliance therapy to address sleep apnea. We find that the vast majority do not have TMJ pain, and those with apnea that grind and clench their teeth while sleeping have no TMJ symptoms at all.

For these patients, we address apnea with specific oral appliances designed to stabilize the airway. These oral appliances are an alternative to what is called CPAP and are chosen based on the degree of apnea (mild and moderate) and/or due to a patient’s intolerance to CPAP.

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment with CPAP

Based on the severity of your sleep apnea, you may have been prescribed nasal CPAP therapy, which requires you to wear a face mask attached to an air pump at night. Although CPAP treatment can be very effective, many people struggle with it on a nightly basis.

Many patients referred to New York TMJ and Orofacial Pain are prescribed oral appliances to wear while they sleep as an alternative to CPAP. These oral appliances are fastened to your upper and lower teeth and bring your lower jaw forward, which moves your tongue out of your upper airway in the process. Not only can oral appliances reduce or eliminate snoring, but they have also proven to be highly effective in treating sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea & TMJ Treatment At New York
TMJ & Orofacial Pain

If you seek sleep apnea and/or TMJ treatment in the NYC metro area, make an appointment at New York TMJ & Orofacial Pain. Snoring, sleep apnea, and TMJ are all familiar problems for us, and we will spend a great deal of time with you understanding your symptoms in order to make a proper diagnosis, give you guidance, and create a treatment plan so you can start feeling better.

Find out how we treat sleep apnea and snoring here.

Source: National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute

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