Can I Wear a Night Guard With CPAP?

3rd Oct 2022

There's a high correlation between sleep apnea and sleep bruxism. As a result, many people who find themselves seeking treatment for one of these conditions will eventually be treated for the second as well. CPAP therapy is the gold standard for treating sleep apnea. Mouth guards are commonly recommended for treating the teeth grinding that's involved in bruxism. If you've been diagnosed with both sleep apnea and bruxism, it's only natural to ask: Can I wear a night guard with CPAP?

Wear a Night Guard With CPAP

Can I Wear a Night Guard While Using a CPAP Machine?

The short answer is yes. If you suffer from both sleep apnea and bruxism, you can use both a CPAP and a night guard. CPAP therapy is generally effective at maintaining the airway when it's used properly. Combining it with a custom-fit night guard can help mitigate the negative side effects of teeth grinding.

Dr. Greg Grillo urges patients fighting a dual battle to arm themselves accordingly. "A night mouth guard provides a quick and easy way to break the cycle of damage during periods of high stress. And, if apnea and bruxism are both ganging up on you, properly treating both conditions helps protect your general and oral health at the same time."

CPAP is an acronym for continuous positive airway pressure. During CPAP therapy, a machine streams pressurized air through a hose into a face mask to keep your airway open. Various masks are available. You may have to try more than one style to find the right fit. Adding a night guard to treat bruxism to the mix may require additional adjustments, but it's certainly possible.

Since breathing is a necessity, it should come as no surprise that sleep apnea can be a serious threat to your well-being. As Mayo Clinic reports, when it's not properly treated, sleep apnea can raise your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and hypertension.

Recent research into sleep apnea suggests that the body's efforts to regain airflow may include attempts to reposition the jaw that trigger teeth grinding. This theory offers a possible connection between the conditions. It also reinforces the need to be proactive about protecting your oral health. After all, untreated teeth grinding can lead to tooth damage, jaw pain, ear pain, headaches, and other troubles.

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Can a Mouthpiece Replace a CPAP Machine?

Is the thought of donning a face mask for sleep apnea and an oral splint for bruxism every night overwhelming? That's understandable. It's especially understandable when you know that noncompliance is a major problem with CPAP therapy alone. Sleep Review reports that between 29% and 83% of patients fail to meet the criteria for successfully completing CPAP therapy, which is just 4 hours a night on 70% of nights. Many CPAP patients either skip the therapy or cut it short because they find the mask uncomfortable.

It may be possible to ditch the CPAP machine. Individuals with mild to moderate sleep apnea may be able to toss the CPAP mask and replace them with a special oral appliance (AKA mouthpiece) that can treat sleep apnea. According to askthedentist.com, an oral appliance may also help cure nighttime teeth grinding (AKA bruxism) if the root cause of your teeth grinding is due to sleep apnea.

Mandibular Advancement Devices

As The New York Times reports, oral devices called mandibular advancement devices, or MADs work by pushing the mandible, or lower jaw, forward. This helps to keep the airway open. Variations are available in drugstores and online, but custom MADs that are fitted and maintained by a dentist offer the best result.

Tongue Retaining Dental Devices

MADs aren't the only oral appliance for sleep apnea. As WebMD indicates, tongue retaining dental devices are splints that hold the tongue in place. When your muscles relax during sleep, they prevent the tongue from falling back and blocking your airway.

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Why Do People Prefer Oral Appliances?

CPAP therapy may be the first treatment that comes to mind for sleep apnea, but that doesn't make it the best. CPAP.com explains why patients often prefer an oral appliance:

User-friendly: oral appliances are far easier to use, maintain, travel with, and store than CPAP machines.
Comfort: With a mouthpiece, the way you sleep isn't a problem because there are no cords or hoses to tangle or restrict your movements. In addition, an oral appliance that sits between your teeth is less imposing than a mask that covers part of your face.
Convenient: A mouthpiece requires less care than a CPAP machine. While cleaning is a must, there are no filters or hoses to replace, and no electricity is needed.
Quiet: Although modern CPAP machines are quieter than their predecessors, they still make noise. Oral appliances are silent.
Cost: Oral appliances are less expensive than CPAP therapy.

How Do I Choose the Right Treatment?

When you're trying to decide between CPAP therapy, mouthpiece therapy, or a combination of both, talk to your healthcare team. You'll need to consider numerous factors, including the severity of your sleep apnea, the severity of your bruxism, your overall health, and your personal preferences. Your dentist or medical professional may recommend that you visit a sleep specialist for a sleep study to help gather more information about your sleep habits. They may also request X-rays to evaluate your oral health.

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Sleep apnea and bruxism often occur together. Thankfully, they can also be treated together. You can wear a custom-fit nightguard while completing your CPAP therapy. Alternatively, you can see a dentist for a special oral appliance that treats sleep apnea. Note: this device is different from a night guard and serves a different purpose. You should not use a night guard to treat sleep apnea.

Pro Teeth Guard is proud to offer custom-fit night guards for bruxism at affordable prices. Every night guard we make is meticulously crafted in a professional dental lab and guaranteed to fit comfortably with our 110% money-back guarantee.

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