Are you constantly fatigued throughout the day and find it difficult to focus? Does your sleeping partner complain of loud snoring? You may have sleep apnea. Many people are unaware that they have the condition because there are many ways it can manifest itself. Fortunately, we’re here to help. At Preston Bend Dental, we provide sleep apnea patients with oral appliances to help them get the quality rest they need. To learn more about sleep apnea treatment or to schedule an appointment, give us a call!
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes breathing to become repetitively restricted during sleep. Snoring is the most common symptom as sufferers struggle to breathe during the night. This disorder is often caused by problems with your airway becoming obstructed during sleep, causing you to stop breathing and being unable to pull air into your lungs. If you experience any of the following symptoms, sleep apnea could be the culprit:
Snoring may seem like a harmless annoyance, but it can signal much larger issues. Left untreated, sleep apnea can result in many serious medical issues, including high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, and diabetes. If you suspect that you have sleep apnea, it’s crucial that you seek a diagnosis so you can get the treatment you need to prevent life-threatening health conditions from developing or worsening.
CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machines are a popular, effective option for addressing sleep apnea. This involves wearing a mask over your nose and/or mouth as you sleep. Air is constantly projected through the mask into the airway, keeping it open. While this method is lifechanging for those with severe sleep apnea, others find the mask to be bulky and the machine loud, making the entire experience uncomfortable and not ideal for sleep. Because of this, many CPAP users aren’t compliant with their treatment.
At Preston Bend Dental, we use a more conservative, comfortable alternative: oral appliance therapy. This is an appliance that is customized to fit in your mouth perfectly. It works by shifting the lower jaw in its optimal position, reducing the likelihood of obstruction during sleep.
