Gnashing of teeth associated with sleep apnea

There is a high prevalence of tooth grinding or bruxism night in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), particularly in the Caucasian population. New research presented at CHEST 2009, the 75th Annual International Scientific Assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), reveals that nearly 1 in 4 patients with OSA by nocturnal teeth grinding, which seems particularly prevalent among men and Caucasians, compared with other ethnic groups. It is estimated that 8 percent of the U.S. population suffers from bruxism, a condition often associated with a dental clinic or temporomandibular disorders and stress.

"The relationship between obstructive sleep apnea and sleep bruxism is usually related to a reaction excitation is possible. The end of apnea, an event organized by a number of mouth phenomena, such as snoring, wheezing with murmurs, and gnashing of teeth, "said Shyam Subramanian, MD, FCCP, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX. "Men tend to suffer from severe sleep apnea, and answers may be more excitement with a higher prevalence of bruxism in men explained. In addition, men tend to have more symptoms characteristic of sleep apnea than women, such as loud snoring, witnessed apneas report and grunts.

Other factors that may help explain the relationship between sleep apnea and gnashing of teeth is to use fear and caffeine.

"A high level of anxiety can lead to bruxism, and sleep apnea untreated is known to cause mood disorders including depression and anxiety," said Dr. Subramanian. "Daytime sleepiness in Sleep apnea can cause a person to take caffeine, and it has also been associated with a high risk of bruxism has been associated. "

Through a retrospective analysis examined, Dr. Subramanian and colleagues from Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, the prevalence of bruxism and reflux disease gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in 150 men and 150 women with OSA. Each group consisted of 50 Caucasians, 50 African-Americans and 50 Hispanics. The results show that 25.6 per cent of patients suffered from gnashing of teeth, while 35 percent of all patients with OSA complain of heartburn and nocturnal symptoms of GERD.

Researchers have also studied the influence of gender and ethnicity on the OSA, GERD and bruxism. They found that bruxism was higher among men than among women, 43 per cent against 31 per cent. Caucasians had the highest incidence of bruxism in relation to other ethnic groups by 35 percent against 19 percent for Hispanics. Afro-Americans have the highest prevalence of GERD-40 percent against 31 percent in the Hispanic population and 34 percent in the Caucasian population. Overall, no correlation was observed between the presence of himself, reported GERD and bruxism.

Bruxism is not treated can cause excessive wear of teeth and caries, periodontal damage, jaw pain, and TMJ, pain or TMJ, headache and sleep disorders in patients and their bed partner.

"Bruxism may be at once a day and a night's Syndrome, but it is bruxism during sleep, including the PAN, as the majority of issues of health reasons," said Dr. Subramanian. "Do Studies show that sleep bruxism of OSA, some treatments, is bound, including CPAP May eliminate bruxism during sleep."

"Sleep disorders like sleep apnea can lead to many secondary health problems, said Kalpalatha Guntupalli, MD, FCCP, President of the American College of Chest Physicians. "In the treatment of sleep apnea, clinicians must also recognize and treat health conditions such as secondary bruxism, for example, to fully manage the sleep disturbance of patients."