Cosmetic Dentistry of Napa

Local Dentist Dr. Cecil Lamberton

  • Cosmetic Dentistry of Napa
  • Home
  • Your
    Team
    • Dr. Lamberton
    • Our Team
  • Smile
    Gallery
  • New
    Patients
    • New Patients
    • Our Office
    • Testimonials
    • Latest Tech
  • Cosmetic
    Dentistry
    • Cosmetic Contouring
    • Cosmetic Bonding
    • Porcelain Crowns
    • Porcelain Veneers
    • Teeth Whitening
    • Digital Smile Design
    • Dental Implants
  • General
    Dentistry
    • Dental Implants
    • Crowns and Bridges
    • Periodontal Therapy
    • Laser Dentistry
    • TMJ Disorders
    • Sedation Dentistry
  • Airway
    Dentistry
    • Dentistry for Healthy Sleep
  • Contact
    Us
    • Appointment Request
  • Blog

By Cecil Lamberton

Sleep Apnea: The Surprise Culprit In Bruxism and TMJ Disorders

TMJ Disorders

New research may be changing the focus of treatment for sufferers of bruxism (grinding teeth), TMD (temporomandibular disorders of jaw muscles, joints and/or nerves) or occlusion issues.

Traditionally, dentists have treated these disorders with mechanical devices such as night guards. These devices are effective in minimizing damage, but they do not address the causes of the behavior.

Now, several studies reveal these problems may be triggered by sleep apnea, a disorder characterized by frequent, brief breathing pauses during sleep.

Some disruption in sleep patterns is normal, but individuals with apnea may stop breathing hundreds of times a night. These microarousals can be caused by medical issues such as an airway blockage or significant increase of acid in the esophagus (obstructive sleep apnea), the brain’s failure to signal the muscles to breathe (central sleep apnea) or both (mixed sleep apnea).

People who have sleep apnea often don’t know it because they don’t awaken during the breathing pauses. They attribute the common symptoms – loud snoring, restless sleep and daytime fatigue – to other origins.

The American Sleep Apnea Association website (http://www.SleepApnea.org) offers screening questionnaires that can help you determine whether you should talk to your health professional.

If are diagnosed with sleep apnea, you have a lot of company. The Sleep Apnea Association reports that more than 18 million Americans suffer from this disorder. Men, especially African American and Hispanic men, are more than twice as likely as women to be afflicted.

Although anyone, even children, can have sleep apnea, there are factors that increase your risk. According to the Mayo Clinic, some of these are obesity, being older than 60, using alcohol or tranquilizers, smoking, difficulty breathing through your nose, or a heart problem, stroke or brain tumor.

Sleep apnea is serious. WebMD lists these seven possible consequences of untreated sleep apnea: high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, weight gain, adult asthma, acid reflux and car accidents caused by drowsiness.

The most common and most reliable method of treating sleep apnea is with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine. This device keeps your air passages open by delivering greater air pressure through a mask placed over your nose while you sleep. It can feel cumbersome or uncomfortable at first, but most people do get used to it, and it does offer tremendous relief, as many testimonials reveal. Other treatment options include different airway pressure devices, surgery, jaw repositioning and supplemental oxygen.

You can help yourself, too, by quitting smoking, losing weight and abstaining from alcohol before sleep.

If you have bruxism, TMD or occlusion, this recent information correlating them with sleep apnea may suggest a new approach to your treatment. Resolving your sleep apnea also may resolve, or improve, your dental disorders. It’s definitely worth checking out.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Bruxism, Night Guards, Oral Health, Sleep Apnea, Teeth Grinding, TMD, TMJ Disorders

Google icon Yelp icon Facebook icon Twitter icon YouTube icon Pinterest icon Instagram icon

We are cleared to start seeing patients again

We're taking extra steps to keep you and our staff safe as we reopen for care.

Schedule a Cosmetic Consultation or Dental Exam Today!

Schedule Now

Finding a new dentist on yelp, why not?!  After reading all the reviews, I made an appointment.  Even with all the stunning reviews, I was shocked to get an appointment so quickly.  I was just going in for a cleaning, but it had been a while since my last one.

Upon arriving, I was not only impressed with the look of the office (very Victorian) but how courteous the receptionist was, not to mention the rest of the staff.  I was immediately taken to one of the exam rooms, without having to wait or fill anything out.  (I had used their online system to send in my patient history, which made everything so much quicker.)

The exam was very thorough, and everyone was very gentle.  This was by far my best dental experience, and while I’m not rushing to get back there,  at least I know, my teeth will be very well cared for when these is a need.

I’ve already received many compliments on my smile because of the difference the office of Dr. Lamberton has made.  Thanks!

Adam, Yelp

View more Testimonials

Partners

American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry

 

KOR Teeth Whitening - Deep Bleaching

 

Buteyko Clinic International

     

Testimonials

Friendly, professional & always welcomed with a big ol’ smile 🙂 absolutely love it here!

Tailer, Yelp

[READ MORE]

Social

Google Maps icon Yelp icon Facebook icon Twitter icon YouTube icon Pinterest icon Instagram icon

Contact

Phone: 707.257.7771
Located at: 3434 Villa Lane Suite 120, Napa, CA, 94558.
Email: cecil@cosmeticdentistryofnapa.com
  • Dr. Lamberton
  • Services
  • New Patients
  • Testimonials
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy

Handcrafted with on the Genesis Framework