Teeth Jaw Clenching Ask The Dentist Questions about Teeth Grinding (Bruxism) in the Dental Health Library

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FAQ: Teeth Grinding

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Question:
Hello I was diagnosed with sleep apnea 9/01 since then I have noticed that I clench my mouth shut extremly tight during sleep. Most recently I have noticed blood in my mouth in the morning from clenching so tightly. The appliance I wear for the apnea is a positive air flow that covers the nose only, forcing the mouth to stay shut.

My question is if the two may be related, and to avoid going to either dentist or sleep doctor first and being referred to the other if you could recommend where to start. ...Visitor from PA

Answer:
The blood worries me. You need to see your dentist to rule out gum disease and then you need to go see an ENT specialist to check your air passages, tonsils, etc. Don't try to skip steps. The ENT specialist can address the sleep apnea problem, either by recommending a sleep study or tonsil surgery. The grinding needs to be treated by a craniofacial pain expert who can perform functional orthodontics.

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