FACIAL PAIN, DENTAL ONCOLOGY AND SLEEP BLOG

As an orofacial and TMJ dentist, I spend a considerable amount of time with patients who grind or clench their teeth during the day and/or at night. Bruxism is the medical term to characterize grinding or clenching of the upper and lower jaw. Though we do not completely understand the etiology behind nocturnal bruxism (grinding or clenching at night) in all patients, we know that certain behaviors, medications and conditions may predispose an individual to nocturnal bruxism.

A recent study published in JAMA revealed that individuals with an unknown history of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) were associated with an increased risk for developing postoperative cardiovascular conditions including congestive heart failure, thromboembolism, stroke, cardiac death and atrial fibrillation. The study evaluated patients at risk for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) with no known diagnosis of OSA undergoing noncardiac surgery. After surgery, the patients were moni

Did you know that poor sleep influences your perception and reaction to pain? A recent study  published in the Journal of Neuroscience revealed that sleep may actually make you more sensitive to pain. Matthew Walker et al. (2019) performed a study that illustrated changes in neural processing among sleep deprived individuals. The researchers took functional MRIs (fMRI) of participants’ brains after they slept for eight hours and fMRIs after they were awake for 24-48 hours. In

Snoring and weight gain? How can they possibly be related? Surprisingly or not, snoring may be attributed to obesity, yet at the same time obesity may be attributed to snoring. Wait what? Okay, let me explain. Obesity is linked to snoring and sleep apnea Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of greater than or equal to 30. An increase in neck circumference through centripetal obesity results in a narrower airway leading to turbulent airflow in your throat. That turbul

Interestingly, orofacial pain sufferers are predominantly women. Why? We don't completely understand, but one proposed theory relates to the hormone estrogen. Studies indicate that estrogen levels may be associated with varying levels of inflammation associated with the temporomandibular joints (TMJ). Additionally, female jaw muscles are more prone to injury and exhaustion as they actually receive less blood flow and thus less oxygen. So? What's the significance with less oxy

A good night's sleep not only makes you feel refreshed and ready for the day ahead, but it is also essential for your health! Sleep has restorative aspects as well as aids in memory formation and consolidation. Are you getting enough sleep? And are you getting the right kind of sleep? Here are 6 tips to help you practice better sleep hygiene tonight! 1) Avoid napping during the day as it can interfere with the normal sleep pattern. 2) Exercise! Exercise may increase your qual

Bruxism, or teeth grinding, is extremely common, especially at night when people are sleeping. But, why? Why do people grind their teeth at night? Although we do not completely understand why we grind our teeth, we believe that stimuli that may arouse the brain during sleep may contribute to bruxism, such as daily stress, anxiety, a painful medical condition, and obstructive sleep apnea. Considered a sleep movement disorder by the Academy of Sleep Medicine, nocturnal bruxism

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 50-70 million Americans suffer from a sleep disorder. One of the most common sleep disorders is obstructive sleep apnea. It afflicts at least 25 million adults in the United States. Sleep apnea is a serious disease that can cause you to stop breathing up to hundreds of times per night for anywhere from a few seconds to more than a minute. Untreated sleep apnea can increase the risk for several other hea

He shudders. She gasps. The snoring could wake the neighbors! In my years of treating patients with snoring and obstructive sleep apnea, I have heard it all. While the wide variety of sleep sounds that come from bed partners can range from soothing to scary, the truth is that snoring, in particular, can indicate a real behind-the-scenes problem. Snoring Problems by the Numbers I am a member of the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, the only non-profit, national associ

Healthy teeth, healthy gums and also…healthy sleep! When it comes to oral health care, patients turn to me for guidance, and many learn that a visit to my office can also help improve their sleep. In addition to dental oncology, I practice oral medicine including dental sleep medicine, a growing segment of dentistry that focuses on managing snoring and sleep apnea with oral appliance therapy. An oral appliance is an effective alternative to the standard continuous positive ai