cpap use shifted my bite

[VirginiaB]

My bite has recently gone off and I am faced with thousands of dollars of ortho work. It has been suggested to me that my cpap might be responsible for the shift in my teeth. Either because of the pressure of the mask on top lip or because the air flow causes me to push my tongue against my teeth. Anyone else find that their bite has maybe been altered by the cpap?

[Pugsy]

It would help if we knew which mask you used.

I have been on cpap over 11 years now. Using primarily a nasal pillow mask of some sort all those years and my teeth haven't moved at all.

[Goofproof]

It would help if we knew which mask you used.

I have been on cpap over 11 years now. Using primarily a nasal pillow mask of some sort all those years and my teeth haven't moved at all.

Or Mis-Used! Jim

[palerider]

My bite has recently gone off and I am faced with thousands of dollars of ortho work. It has been suggested to me that my cpap might be responsible for the shift in my teeth. Either because of the pressure of the mask on top lip or because the air flow causes me to push my tongue against my teeth. Anyone else find that their bite has maybe been altered by the cpap?

People will blame CPAP for the most ridiculous things.

Including this.

Your teeth are extremely hard. they go into bone.

Push on your teeth with your soft, squishy tongue, did they move? No? There's your answer.

Also, CPAP operates at a tiny fraction of one pound per square inch.

Look elsewhere for your tooth problems.

[Mako19]

Teeth are attached to bone but the bone can remodel itself due to forces . Invisalign for example--- it is plastic but can move teeth just like braces. Is bone stronger than plastic (?) , if so, why can the plastic aligners like invisalign move teeth ? Tongues are very strong. Any change in tongue posture can definitely move teeth. Airway obstructions like enlarged tonsils can cause mouth breathing with foward tongue posture and result in anterior open bite( front teeth do not touch at all ). I would not discount VirginaB's concern about her bite shifting. At the same time weigh the benefit of the cpap ( lower risk to heart and organs from low oxygen saturation) vs the possible shift in bite. Possibly the bite would have shifted anyway due to uneven wear of teeth over time, possible drifting of teeth due to extractions, etc. I see bites that have shifted over time every (!) single day that i work at my office. Teeth can easily drift out of position. The cpap may or may not be a factor. If you have had to retract someone's tongue every day like i do in dental practice you would realize how strong they are and tongue posture definitely can move teeth.... just ask any orthodontist because they all have had completed cases relapse due to tongue posture.

[chunkyfrog]

I had orthodontics, so I am familiar with the sensations of gradually realigning teeth.
When my first mask--Mirage nasal cushion--began shifting my upper incisors,
the effect would last for a half hour or so in the morning.
It was then that I asked my doctor for a medical letter of necessity,
so I could switch to a nasal pillow mask immediately--and insurance had to pay for it.
I believe the mirage nasal mask ended up in the trash.
CHANGE MASKS ---ASAP.

[LeonardoDR]

Mako19 is right, the tongue can shift the teeth over time. (I had an issue with that as a child.)

[ChicagoGranny]

Either because of the pressure of the mask on top lip or ...

Which mask are you using? You may have it sized or adjusted improperly. I've used a half dozen different full face masks over my years of CPAP use. Properly sized and adjusted, none of them press on the teeth. Typically, they rest above the teeth on the bone just under the nose and below the teeth in the labiomental crease.

Likewise, nasal masks and nasal pillows do not rest on the teeth.

[palerider]

Teeth are attached to bone but the bone can remodel itself due to forces . Invisalign for example--- it is plastic but can move teeth just like braces. Is bone stronger than plastic (?) , if so, why can the plastic aligners like invisalign move teeth ?

You *under* estimate the pressure that braces put on teeth, and over-estimate the force of a cpap mask, or a tongue.