title: Sleep-Related Breathing Disorders and Bruxism.
abstract: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome is a sleep-related breathing disorder, due mainly to peripheral causes, characterized by repeated episodes of obstruction of the upper airways, associated with snoring and arousals. The sleep process fragmentation and oxygen desaturation events lead to the major health problems with numerous pathophysiological consequences. Micro-arousals occurring during sleep are considered to be the main causal factor for night jaw-closing muscles activation called bruxism. Bruxism is characterized by clenching and grinding of the teeth or by bracing or thrusting of the mandible. The causes of bruxism are multifactorial and are mostly of central origin. Among central factors there are secretion disorders of central nervous system neurotransmitters and basal ganglia disorders. Recently, sleep bruxism has started to be regarded as a physiological phenomenon occurring in some parts of the population. In this article we present an evaluation of the relationship between OSA and sleep bruxism. It has been reported that the frequency of apneic episodes and that of teeth clenching positively correlates in OSA. However, clinical findings suggest that further studies are needed to clarify sleep bruxism pathophysiology and to develop new approaches to tailor therapy for individual patients with concomitant sleep bruxism and OSA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, Medical University of Warsaw, Pavillon XIa, 59 Nowogrodzka St., 02-006, Warsaw, Poland. jolanta.kostrzewa-janicka@wum.edu.pl.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kostrzewa-Janicka
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, Medical University of Warsaw, Pavillon XIa, 59 Nowogrodzka St., 02-006, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jurkowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine Internal and Metabolic Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw and Systemic Vasculitis is outpatient Clinic, Czerniakowski Hospital, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zycinska
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, Medical University of Warsaw, Pavillon XIa, 59 Nowogrodzka St., 02-006, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Przybyłowska
authors.affiliation: Department of Prosthodontics, Medical University of Warsaw, Pavillon XIa, 59 Nowogrodzka St., 02-006, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mierzwińska-Nastalska
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D012891:Sleep Apnea Syndromes / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D020186:Sleep Bruxism / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy
keywords: Bruxism; Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea; Sleep related breathing disorder; Teeth clenching; Upper airways