Dental Appliances Can Help You With Sleep Apnea

The Characteristics of Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is characterized by abnormal pauses in breathing (apneas) or shallow breathing while an individual sleeps. These apneas can occur due to a physical blockage of airflow, a lack of respiratory effort, or both.

There are three types of sleep apnea:

Obstructive sleep apnea
Central sleep apnea
Complex sleep apnea syndrome (occurs when someone has obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea)

Do we know what causes sleep apnea?

When you drift into a deep sleep, your throat tissues, soft palate and tongue relax. For those with sleep apnea, the throat tissues and soft palate over-relax, causing them to collapse into the back of your throat, blocking the airway.

When the airway is blocked, the flow of oxygen ceases, and as a result, your brain forces you to wake up slightly to consciously resume breathing. These episodes may happen hundreds of times a night, seriously disrupting your sleep.

How your medical professional can diagnose sleep apnea.

Symptoms of sleep apnea include heavy snoring, headaches and migraines upon waking, restless sleep, excessive daytime fatigue, problems focusing, irritability, depression and TMJ symptoms.

Though loud snoring is a notorious symptom and may indicate a potentially serious problem, not everyone who has sleep apnea will snore. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should visit a medical professional so you can receive a proper diagnosis.

Once your issue has been diagnosed by a medical professional, your dentists can help you get a better night’s rest with a number of treatment options. We will complete a full examination of your teeth, tongue, airway and jaw, and potentially take an x-ray of your airway, to determine the right appliance for your needs.

How can dental appliances help with sleep apnea?

Dental appliances help alter the position of your lower jaw along with your mouth structures preventing the occurrence of an airway blockage. These dental appliances are:

Portable
Easy to care for
Comfortable to wear
Easy to insert and remove
Quiet and not disruptive to any bed partners (unlike some sleep apnea machines)
Convenient for travel

Why is it important to treat sleep apnea?

Those experiencing the symptoms of sleep apnea are unable to succeed in getting the deep restorative sleep that they are in need of for their body to heal and recharge. This can play a role in many medical disorders and diseases, and reduce your life’s quality and longevity.

Complications can include a wide range of conditions from metabolic syndrome and high blood sugar, which is linked to an increased risk of heart disease. You may also experience heart problems, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes and resistance to insulin. Because of your daytime fatigue, you may be at an increased risk of workplace or motor vehicle accidents.

By treating sleep apnea, you and your dentist will work together to further improve your overall quality of life.