upper teeth loose and 40% bone lose
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My dentist is very good but knows relatively little about OSA, so he is eager to learn about these interfaces and so forth. While I have great respect for him, this is another case, like with medical docs, where the patients have to educate the docs as much as or more than they educate us. His knowledge about the bone loss issue is really orthodontics 101.
Fat Man in the Bathtub
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Another idea on my tooth/gum pain
Lately I've been sleeping on my side and then turn on my stomach when I fall asleep, which means I may be flat on my face. This of course would put considerable more pressure right below my nose!
Well, I did note soreness along my top gumline when I was using the Activa regularly. I now use a different interface every 1 or 2 nights so I'm no longer bothered by this problem. (Switching also gives my nares a rest from constant pressure points. And believe me, I sleep with my masks as loose as possible!) But to find out more about this bone loss issue, I will ask my dentist tomorrow. He has been on CPAP 5-7 years! He has already shared his opinion concerning various devices worn at night to address OSA. Bottom line....he feels that CPAP is a safer, long term approach. Extended use of mouth pieces has a host of potential painful side effects like TMJ problems, headaches, excessive decay, just to name a few. I will report back on what I find out from him concerning this bone loss question.
- neversleeps
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According to my dentist, it's a function of particularly porous bone around the mouth and nose and cheeks, and concentrated, long-period point-focused pressure with not very much soft tissue in the way. In the case of my butt, at least, the bones are very well-protected with soft tissue (tho all muscle?!), and the pelvic and leg bones, as well as the main skull, are much tougher bone structure than around the mouth and nose.
Fat Man in the Bathtub
posted subject
This is a very real concern to me. I'm in the last stages of some expensive dental work. I didn't ask my dentist about masks, and he didn't volunteer anything, although I did tell him I was getting treatment.
I don't use the nose mask. I do have the Ultra Mirage FF. I assume with it, the concern would be bone loss to the lower teeth. Which brings up the question, what happens to the nasal bones at the top of our masks? Will we eventually achieve a caved-in appearance there?
Moving on, is the pillow intefaces void of any danger of bone loss?
I don't use the nose mask. I do have the Ultra Mirage FF. I assume with it, the concern would be bone loss to the lower teeth. Which brings up the question, what happens to the nasal bones at the top of our masks? Will we eventually achieve a caved-in appearance there?
Moving on, is the pillow intefaces void of any danger of bone loss?
Well, I am truly glad this topic is being discussed.
I have been using the Activa for only five or six weeks. Prior to that I was using nasal pillow interfaces.
After only a few days on the Activa I began to *clearly* notice my upper front teeth hurting each day after I removed the Activa. That hurting feeling went away in a couple of hours.
I tried loosening the straps more than normal and put up with a whole lot of leakage for a few days - to check out the effect on my hurt teeth. The result was my teeth did NOT hurt when I removed the Activa. BUT I went back to the tighter straps because I couldn't stand all that leakage - especially into my eyes.
My pressure settings on a BiPap are 16/11. The settings were recently increased from 13/9. My AHI was greately reduced with the increased settings but the degree of pain in my upper front teeth increased.
I love the Activa and even bought a second set of Activa headgear - just so I would never be without the Activa. I will continue using the Activa, but I will try using a different interface every second or third day for one night.
I'm not scheduled for teeth cleaning for three months. When I next see the dentist I will bring my BiPap and Activa with me.
Thanks for bringing up this topic.
Andy
I have been using the Activa for only five or six weeks. Prior to that I was using nasal pillow interfaces.
After only a few days on the Activa I began to *clearly* notice my upper front teeth hurting each day after I removed the Activa. That hurting feeling went away in a couple of hours.
I tried loosening the straps more than normal and put up with a whole lot of leakage for a few days - to check out the effect on my hurt teeth. The result was my teeth did NOT hurt when I removed the Activa. BUT I went back to the tighter straps because I couldn't stand all that leakage - especially into my eyes.
My pressure settings on a BiPap are 16/11. The settings were recently increased from 13/9. My AHI was greately reduced with the increased settings but the degree of pain in my upper front teeth increased.
I love the Activa and even bought a second set of Activa headgear - just so I would never be without the Activa. I will continue using the Activa, but I will try using a different interface every second or third day for one night.
I'm not scheduled for teeth cleaning for three months. When I next see the dentist I will bring my BiPap and Activa with me.
Thanks for bringing up this topic.
Andy
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Long-term, steady use of any single interface is likely to cause bone/cartilage/soft tissue impacts wherever the pressure points are. I think that RestedGal and the others who have a rotation of comfortable interfaces (I'm still trying to get to optimal pressure with a single interface!) have the right idea.
Would some of the vets be willing to weigh in on this? RG? Titrator? Others? I'm certainly not trying to discourage use of CPAP or any interface--in fact, my dentist said that in his opinion it is WAY more important to address the apnea than worry about the bone/teeth issues. CPAP has saved my life, I am convinced. It's simply another issue to watch out for, and manage the side-effects from, as you proceed with treatment.
Would some of the vets be willing to weigh in on this? RG? Titrator? Others? I'm certainly not trying to discourage use of CPAP or any interface--in fact, my dentist said that in his opinion it is WAY more important to address the apnea than worry about the bone/teeth issues. CPAP has saved my life, I am convinced. It's simply another issue to watch out for, and manage the side-effects from, as you proceed with treatment.
Fat Man in the Bathtub
If a nasal interface can cause bone loss in the upper jaw, then why wouldn't those dental devices for OSA cause bone loss of the upper or lower jaw or both? Surely they are exerting some king of pressure all night every night.
My Breeze pressed terribly against my upper lips but I never noticed any soreness in my upper incisors in the daytime even after wearing it for a month. The Swift barely even touches my upper lip so I don't anticipate any bone loss from pressure as an side effect from this type of interface.
If this truly is a concern, the manufacturers need to be aware to alter their designs accordingly.
My Breeze pressed terribly against my upper lips but I never noticed any soreness in my upper incisors in the daytime even after wearing it for a month. The Swift barely even touches my upper lip so I don't anticipate any bone loss from pressure as an side effect from this type of interface.
If this truly is a concern, the manufacturers need to be aware to alter their designs accordingly.
Thanks for the discussion. I have also been having inflammation of the gums above my front teeth for over a year. My doctor had me put a steroid ointment on it twice a day and that seemed to help a little. But it never went away. Now I just put up with it, but maybe I will have to rethink this approach. BTW, I use a Breeze -- meaning that there is minimal pressure in that particular area.
Ann
Ann
Re: upper teeth loose and 40% bone lose
I have been wearing many different cpap masks for the last five years and have had extensive work done on my front (upper and lower) teeth just before therapy. I have been told that I have a considerable amount of bone loss on the upper teeth. I have had gum blisters for quite some time and I thought it was because of the masks so I kept switching them. The blisters are an infection and I now have to have two front teeth removed (one is fractured and the other dead. I had root canal on my front upper and lower teeth about five years ago). My regular dentist and a specialist feels it's caused by trauma from the cpap therpay. The pressure from the mask and the pressure from the flow of air. I am really beside myself!! There should be more known of the negative affects from this.