Snoring and teeth grinding

Do you or your partner suffer from breathing difficulties during sleep such as snoring or obstructive sleep apnoea? If so, you will be pleased to know that dentistry may have just the solution for you.

Oral devices or mouthpieces are now available and can be fitted by our Shoreham dentists to address your snoring problems. They work by preventing your lower jaw from dropping back during sleep (that leads to the closure of your airways), which will help stop you from snoring.

By wearing a custom-made mouth piece your bottom jaw is held in a slightly forward position that opens up your airway significantly allowing you to breathe more easily and as a result sleep better too.

According to the British Snoring & Sleep Apnoea Association more than half of us in the UK have sleep problems at some time in our lives. Poor sleep can be caused by many factors including lifestyle, illness or environmental noise, such as a snoring partner.

There are more than 80 recognised sleep disorders, and two of the most common are bruxism (teeth grinding or clenching) and snoring.

Bruxism or teeth grinding

Bruxism is a habit that affects around 8-10% of the population. It is characterised by grinding of our teeth and clenching of our jaw that causes tooth wear and breakage, disorders of the jaw (pain and limited movement) and headaches on waking.

Bruxism occurs in both children and adults but is most common in 25-44 year olds. However, most people grind and/or clench their teeth occasionally to a certain degree.

Bruxism takes place as a response to arousals during sleep indicating that it may be a sign of another sleep disorder. The strongest association has been found between sleep bruxism and obstructive sleep apnoea, a condition that is often accompanied by daytime sleepiness and non-restorative sleep.

Sleep apnoea is a medical condition that causes the airway to close completely, preventing snorers from breathing.

Speak to us today and let us help alleviate your snoring or tooth grinding problem.