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Your Teeth Grinding May Be Caused by Your Snoring

Your Teeth Grinding May Be Caused by Your Snoring | Sinus & Snoring Specialists Austin TX

Many people that snore also grind their teeth at night time. Their dentist may be the first person to tell them they are grinding because of the wear on the teeth. The dentist may have made them a mouth guard to prevent damage to the teeth.

Actually, the snoring is usually the cause of teeth grinding during sleep.

Why does snoring cause teeth grinding?

When we fall asleep initially, we are in a light level of sleep. The chewing muscles are still active and the thoughts and stresses of the day can lead to teeth grinding.

In normal sleep, we will then go into a deeper phase of sleep where the mental and physical restoration occurs. In these deeper phases, the chewing muscles, as well as almost all other muscles, become very relaxed.

These deep phases allow for long periods where the chewing muscles can recover and grinding will not occur.

When the patient suffers from snoring or sleep apnea, the deep phases get interrupted and prevented. This not only leads to poor quality sleep but it allows the teeth grinding to occur all night.

When we evaluate and successfully resolve the patient’s snoring or sleep apnea, the teeth grinding may very well resolve as well. The patient may not need the mouth guard anymore.

Schedule a consultation

If you have been told that you grind your teeth and you also snore, contact our office at 512.601.0303 for a possible cure for both conditions

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