Neurology of sleep and sleep-related breathing disorders and their relationships to sleep bruxism.

Conditions that affect sleep can impact overall health. More than 70 million Americans suffer from problems with sleep. The purpose of this article is to provide the basic science of sleep physiology and how it relates to disorders that are pertinent to dentistry. Concepts are presented that explain airway dynamics and how the jaw and tongue influence airway obstruction. Additionally, explanation is given on an association between temporomandibularj aw dysfunction and bruxism during sleep.