Yes, TMJ – more accurately known as TMD – is caused by clenching or grinding teeth. Frequently, this occurs at night while asleep. One of its causes, that has more recently been discovered, relates to breathing problems during sleep such as snoring and sleep apnea. Clenching and grinding teeth while asleep is now recognized as an attempt to bring the jaw and tongue forward. This is to prevent the back of the tongue from blocking the airway, which is what happens in patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea. There are many people who have a tendency for the airway to partially block while asleep, making it more difficult to breath. Clenching the jaw is the brain’s way of preventing this from occurring. I suggest viewing my website and TV show for a more elaborate explanation of TMJ / TMD and sleep. I’ve recently presented research on this topic at a national sleep disorders conference. Also, dentists who treat this problem make dental splints that ease pain by keeping the jaw open and relieving pressure on the joints. This also protects tooth enamel. However, most of these appliances do not correct the breathing issues. I am working with Ronald Prehn, DDS, a facial pain and dental sleep specialist to further educate dentists on this topic. We hold an annual professional medical conference in Houston on this topic, more information is available at www.dentalsleepconference.com.
