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Any thoughts on problem with gap between teeth since using CPAP for a few years?
#11
RE: Any thoughts on problem with gap between teeth since using CPAP for a few years?
(10-15-2020, 01:51 PM)Cpapian Wrote: I am going to differ with the experts because I experienced this when I got my first machine.   I already had TMJ dysfunction and had worn a lower night guard for millennia.   My upper four front teeth were tender and I was getting a gap between the front two teeth.   The entire top teeth were spacing more loosely.  I could tell this visually as well as by the difference when flossing.   My dentist made my nightguard for TMJD on the upper teeth and a lighter nightguard for the bottom teeth.

After getting the new setup I still had tenderness in the upper teeth.   I moved my mask up a tad higher and that completed the solution.

My interpretation of the events is that the mask was riding low over my teeth and my tongue was, unconsciously trying to push it off.

After wearing the new nightguards for a  couple of weeks,  the spacing issue corrected itself.  

Not a lot of people have this problem but a few do.  More than just you and me by far.   It probably has a lot to do with different facial characteristics.

After my experience,  I  suggest playing with your mask fit.  A 1/4 inch higher might be all you need.  If you have a different mask, you could also try that.  Something that doesn't rest on the upper jaw /teeth.  From there you might try a nightguard.  Braces would be my last choice unless you have other alignment issues you want to correct.

Thanks for this info, Cpapian. I think I have a short upper lip. There’s really only one spot for my nasal pillows to sit. I used a nasal mask when I first started out with CPAP. Maybe I’ll give that a try again and ask my dentist about a nightguard.
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#12
RE: Any thoughts on problem with gap between teeth since using CPAP for a few years?
I think your short upper lip is probably where your problem originates in that you don't have the real estate to park a mask without interfering with the tooth area. I also think that the reason why a lot of people don't think it is related to sleep apnea is because they probably have larger areas.

It is also something you should, in theory, be able to control. An earlier poster mentioned tongue positioning and that could help. Mind over matter, if you are into that kind of stuff, could also help. Even a small piece of cloth directly under the pillows might be enough to help. It is probably your mind that is responsible. It is trying to solve a problem.

I went the nightguard route because I already wore one for my TMJD, it was time for a new one, and it was easy .
Sleep-well
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#13
RE: Any thoughts on problem with gap between teeth since using CPAP for a few years?
My brother had perfectly straight teeth, then while in his fifties his two front teeth developed a large gap, apparently from gum disease he didn't realize he had. He's never used cpap or any sort of dental appliance. My point is that yours could well be unrelated to cpap use. It may be a dental issue or something else.
Machine:  ResMed AirCurve 10 Vauto
Mask:  Bleep DreamPort Sleep Solution
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#14
RE: Any thoughts on problem with gap between teeth since using CPAP for a few years?
(10-17-2020, 09:25 PM)Deborah K. Wrote: My brother had perfectly straight teeth, then while in his fifties his two front teeth developed a large gap, apparently from gum disease he didn't realize he had.  He's never used cpap or any sort of dental appliance.  My point is that yours could well be unrelated to cpap use.  It may be a dental issue or something else.

Thanks, Deborah. Sounds like I’d better keep up the twice per year dental checkups.
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#15
RE: Any thoughts on problem with gap between teeth since using CPAP for a few years?
Hi All, 

If I may I will just add my own 2c worth, and to add to the wealth of information in this excellent forum.

I have been using P30i nasal pillows and N30/N30i nasal cradle for the last 236 nights, with mouth tape and or Alice Bands over the mouth to control the leaking. The thing I found is that I needed to invert the lips prior to taping to control the leak.

This resulted in 2 things:
  • infrequent but annoying biting of the inside of my lips while sleeping, and
  • increased pressure on the my upper central incisors, resulting in altered bite: on many mornings I would not be able to close my teeth into the usual position of occlusion until later on in the day. In addition, the front teeth were tender enough to make chewing difficult and painful, even towards evening.
Now I am trialling FFMs again and have noticed two things:
  • My teeth are no longer tender, my bite is back to normal, even after less than 10 days.
  • and I have much less tooth grinding at night. No idea why, though.
Of course this is my own personal experience and not to conclude that this applies to you.
There may be other multiple factors involved, age, bone density, Vit D levels etc, but from my point of view my own PAP therapy does influence my teeth.
After all that is how Orthodontists change the direction your teeth grow in: sustained pressure in one direction.

To solve this, in the end I may land up rotating alternating FFMs with Nasal masks from time to time.

Caveat: 

This is my own personal experience and opinion, and therefore anecdotal, and is not to be regarded as advice in any form or fashion.

(I will be discussing this at my next dental visit and Sleep Therapy visit to ask how common this is, and if anything else needs to be considered: dental conditions, gum disease, maxillary bone conditions etc)
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#16
RE: Any thoughts on problem with gap between teeth since using CPAP for a few years?
Green Wings, you might want to look at the Bleep system. Instead of the usual mask, the Bleep is taped directly over your nostrils. There are no straps and nothing to put pressure on your teeth. Maybe this would solve your problem if your teeth are moving, or if your teeth just feel the pressure from a nasal type mask.
Machine:  ResMed AirCurve 10 Vauto
Mask:  Bleep DreamPort Sleep Solution
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#17
RE: Any thoughts on problem with gap between teeth since using CPAP for a few years?
I have not yet read the replies, but I wanted to respond. I have had significant teeth shifting due to using nasal masks and utilizing the tongue suck technique. I now have gaps between some of my teeth, and my front teeth are starting to tilt outward. I plan to consult an orthodontist and get Invisalign. I hope that by sleeping in retainers after that, my teeth will no longer shift.
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#18
RE: Any thoughts on problem with gap between teeth since using CPAP for a few years?
(10-15-2020, 04:15 PM)sleepy331 Wrote: What you're experiencing is something called a "tongue thrust." It can definitely affect teeth. The only real way to fix it is practicing proper tongue posture (it should be on the roof of your mouth and not pushing into your teeth).

I agree.

Prior to cpap, I slept with my mouth open. And never in my life has my tongue rested at the top of my mouth. I have recently learned I have never practiced proper tongue posture.  CPAP is now providing this opportunity, and my mouth is adjusting... which is causing my teeth to shift. 

What I have learned recently is this proper position should have been practiced all my life, which would have caused my teeth and roof of my mouth to form a good position. (Instead, I grew up with a narrow palate, poor tongue posture, had to have braces and also teeth removed. Which has all likely contributed to me having sleep apnea since I was a teen.)
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