How’s your sleep? Are you wearing a mouth guard? Do you sometimes wonder if mouth guards can worsen sleep apnea? When I was practicing dental hygiene I was asked this question quite often because I recall many patients that felt like their sleep got worse after purchasing a mouth guard.
Did you buy a mouth guard at the insistence of your dentists to help solve problem A, B,C? They, literally, are sold all the time “hoping” to solve a problem that the dentist can’t figure out.
Patient: “I have this weird clicking and tingling in my left jaw joint when I eat strawberries and yellow watermelon.”
Dentist: “Boy, I’m not sure. We can get you a mouth guard and see how that helps.”
So the big question is can mouth guards worsen sleep apnea? Fun fact, I’m not sure which of my mentors taught me this, but it’s definitely a concept that those of us involved in the airway world know and repeatedly education about …nightguards make sleep apnea 100% worse, 50% of the time. That was simple. Yes, mouth guards can worsen sleep apnea.
What I’m not saying is that there is NO use for night guards, but I’m saying that they don’t help get to the root of the problem, and quite frankly they are often sold (at a high price) without digging any deeper.
In this episode of the Myo Minute, I’m diving into whether or not mouth guards can worsen sleep apnea. I already gave you the answer, but I’m going to unpack things a little bit more!
I’ll touch on topics like:
- What mouth guards don’t do
- Who shouldn’t be wearing a mouth guard
- What to do if you have a mouth guard
However, I think the most important thing to consider if you’re wondering if mouth guards worsen sleep apnea is how you’re working to get to the root cause of the sleep apnea condition. Many of my clients just think that it’s a life sentence once it is diagnosed, but many don’t know that there are ways to improve the sleep apnea or possibly get rid of it all together!
If you suspect or have sleep apnea, I would encourage you to book your exam to discuss how orofacial myofunctional therapy can help. Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy is a great tool for obstructive sleep apnea, and one that many people in today’s mainstream medical world never hear about.
I’m happy to help!
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Meet Carmen Woodland
I found this path of passion years ago as a dental hygienist. After a stint in graduate school to earn my M.B.A., I decided that I needed to pivot. My heart was no longer in scraping teeth, but making a much bigger impact on lives touched by myofunctional impairment.
My story is personal and close to home. My sweet granddaughter was passed back and forth amongst doctors and therapists for years trying to figure out her speech, breathing, sleep, chewing and swallowing issues. It wasn’t until I completed more training that I knew her problem was a significant tongue-tie. Bingo.
Fast forward to now. I’m a crusader. A warrior. A voice for those who can’t find theirs, or who don’t have one.
I left clinical hygiene practice to start Integrative Myofunctional Therapy. It has evolved from a way to make a living, into an obsession!
I see clients all over the world and provide innovative, virtual therapy in the remotest of places.
In addition, I also
- Teach other dental hygienists, speech therapists & dentists how to become myofunctional therapists through the Myofunctional Therapy Training Academy, the Myo Mastery Program, Ignition Implementation Lab, and Triumph Business Training For Myofunctional Professionals
- Coach dental offices on how to implement myofunctional screening into the daily practice
- Speak in various settings
I’m an airway provider for the Foundation of Airway Health, where I work diligently for the recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of airway-related disorders.
And last but not least, I’m a proud member of several professional associations that afford me the opportunity to learn so that I can help you. My professional memberships include: