Sleep Apnea Therapy

What is Sleep Apnea?

If you suffer from incessant snoring and sleepless nights, these may be signs of sleep apnea. With normal snoring, the sound is a fairly quiet result of airflow obstruction. While this is mildly annoying, it poses no terrible health risks. In contrast, sleep apnea is a sleep disorder comprising major respiration breaks. Often, there are 10-15 second intervals in between breaths. You may be told by a partner that your snoring is disturbing their sleep, or you may awaken yourself throughout the night, and feel exhausted during the day. True sleep apnea is a major risk to overall health and well-being. In rare cases, the effects of sleep apnea can be fatal. But there are therapies we at Smiley Dental Group can use to heal your sleep apnea, once and for all!

What causes sleep apnea?

There are two types of sleep apnea – obstructive and central. The cause of Obstructive sleep apnea is a relaxing of throat muscles. Central sleep apnea is less common than Obstructive and occurs when the brain cannot transmit signals to your breathing muscles. Though it may be difficult to pinpoint the precise cause of your sleep apnea, several risk factors may be contributors, including:

• Being overweight
• Smoking
• Drinking to excess
• Being male
• Using narcotics
• Having a heart disorder
• Family history

Losing weight and quitting bad habits may help in treating sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can be dangerous if you do not act. You may suffer side effects in terms of quality of life, such as trying to get through the day when you feel unrested. But also, more severe issues may be at play. Experts have linked untreated Obstructive sleep apnea to strokes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. As well as being burdensome to carry on with your day when you’re not fully rested, issues like car accidents become more likely, because of a loss of concentration due to exhaustion.

How do I get diagnosed as having sleep apnea?

If you suspect you have sleep apnea, you can participate in a sleep study to receive a diagnosis by a trained specialist. There, they will monitor your sleep patterns and breathing, at which point a doctor will determine if you have sleep apnea. Once your diagnosis is made, you can rely on your dental team to provide sleep apnea therapies that help your breathing patterns, thus ensuring a safe and restorative sleep environment.

Can Smiley Dental Group provide sleep apnea therapy?

Yes! At Smiley Dental Group, we offer dental sleep devices for treating sleep apnea. This comfortable mouthguard fits over your teeth to facilitate safe, consistent breathing. With this oral appliance, it will gently move your jaw forward to open your airways, allowing for natural breathing. We can truly help you get your calm nights back and relax your partner as well. There is no reason to endanger your health or relationship any longer. Our office will help you return to well-rested mornings!

Interested in learning more about our sleep apnea therapies? Call us at 614-654-4822 or fill out our contact form.