Have you ever experienced pain in your jaw bone, more formally referred to as the temporomandibular joint (TMJ)? Maybe you have heard a clicking or popping sound when opening and closing your mouth? Or, perhaps you have tight, sore facial muscles? If any of this sounds familiar, you may be experiencing TMD, which is short for temporomandibular disorder. However, if you are also experiencing daytime sleepiness, difficulty concentrating during the day, loud snoring, or abrupt awakenings during the night, you could have sleep apnea. And that sleep apnea might be linked to your TMJ.

​

What do snoring, sleep apnea, and teeth grinding have in common? They are all mouth-related health problems that occur when you’re asleep. Because you can’t perceive many of the symptoms while sleeping, you may be unaware of the problem. Fortunately, a properly trained dentist can treat snoring, sleep apnea, and teeth grinding by fitting you with the appropriate mouth guard.