Sleep Apnea- Understanding How Your Dentist Can Help

While you are sleeping, the most embarrassing thought is to be told that you snore

. According to the National Sleep Foundation, at least 37 million adults snore on a regular basis. However, not all snoring is equal. Occasional snoring, due to congestion or bad sleeping positions, is a nuisance while habitual snoring can disturb your sleep patterns and rob both you and your partner of needed rest. Additionally, snoring to the extent that you stop breathing-obstructive sleep apnea-is a serious health threat that puts you at risk for heart disease and stroke.

Snoring is such a common problem that people tend to under-rate its seriousness. Disrupted sleep on an on-going basis can affect the physical well-being of both the snorer and partner alike. ENT specialists are not the only ones to treat snoring; your dentist can help too with the suggestion of a special mouth guard for sleeping. Oral appliances have been effective for many people who snore, including those suffering from mild or moderate obstructive sleep apnea.

What Causes Snoring?

When you are asleep, the muscles and soft tissues in your throat and mouth automatically relax. The lower jaw and tongue drop back, helping block and decrease the airway opening. This results in an increase in the velocity of air flowing through your airway when you breathe. With the increased velocity of airflow, the tissues in your mouth begin to vibrate, which results in snoring. The sound you hear when someone snores is actually the sound of the tissues in your mouth vibrating.

In severe cases, the collapse of the upper airway is so complete that the lungs may not receive oxygen for up to 30 seconds, which is referred to as obstructive sleep apnea. In response to the deprivation of oxygen, your body triggers an internal alarm, which partially wakes you up. This is usually accompanied by loud gasps for air that can last for 3 seconds or more until you fall asleep and the cycle begins again. Snoring can also be affected by diet, health, lifestyle, age, weight, environment and other factors.

What is an Oral Appliance?

An oral appliance is a device that is inserted into your mouth when you are sleeping to help you stop snoring. The American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine has recently identified oral appliances as an effective treatment for snoring and sleep apnea. An oral appliance is a device offered by your dentist that is fitted into your mouth to prevent snoring. It does so by preventing your jaw and tongue from dropping back into the throat while you are sleeping. One of the main reasons people snore is the tongue dropping back into the throat and the wind from the airways "flaps" your mouth's soft tissue like a flag.

A durable device, provided by your dentist, an oral appliance has multiple uses including snoring problems, bruxism or teeth grinding and TMJ. The snore guard's unique inner lining is softened by heat during the fitting process and is custom fitted to your individual needs. It fits snuggly over your top teeth while you sleep and is designed to prevent your tongue from dropping towards the back of your throat, which helps to keep your airway open, effectively relieving the main cause of snoring.

If you snore or someone you know snores, visit your dentist in Livonia today for further consultation. Oral appliances are comfortable, patented, and easy to wear so that you can end your snoring problems and achieve a better night's sleep.

by: Gen Wright

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