What’s Sleep Apnea And How Your Dentist Can Help You
3 min readHave you ever experienced sleeping with someone who suddenly snores loudly in the middle of the night? It can be very annoying especially for those who have a low tolerance in these kinds of noise. If you have had issues with sleep apnea or snoring, you may want to continue reading.
It has been confirmed that about 50% of the population have had experiences with sleep apnea or snoring. This typically happens when the back of an individual’s throat tends to vibrate as air flows through it as a means of breathing.
You may have already know that intensive snoring can cause certain health consequences. Moreover, did you know that Lansdowne dentists can help you with this issue? Not a lot of people know that sleep apnea and snoring can be resolved through oral health maintenance.
Without further adieu, here are some of the facts you may want to know about the relationship between sleep apnea and oral hygiene.
Are you familiar with how sleep apnea works?
First and foremost, it is important to understand how sleep apnea works. With this knowledge, we may be able to understand its relationship with your dental health. Nonetheless, sleep apnea is considered a chronic condition that may hinder a person’s ability to breathe during sleep.
The two types of sleep apnea include central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea. Central sleep apnea is when the brain stops sending signals to the body that it needs to breathe. Obstructive sleep apnea, on the other hand, happens when there is a collapse in our airway’s soft tissues.
How can sleep apnea be resolved?
There are a lot of ways to resolve this chronic condition. A sufferer’s first option would be to seek the assistance of their local Lansdowne dentists. There are oral tools that can support and shift how the jaw allows air to pass through nasal passages. If the airway remains open during
Sleep, there is a lower chance of snoring.
In addition, the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine has claimed that surgical procedures involving an individual’s upper airway may resolve cases of sleep apnea. Your dentist can also notice early signs of sleep apnea; some of these symptoms include bruxism or teeth grinding, worn or broken teeth, feeling of pain when you chew on something soft, shoulder and neck pain, and instances of a locked jaw.
It is important to note that the placement of your jaw can seriously affect your body’s airway. The pressure you put on your jaw can result in various dental problems. In addition, it can also lead to instances of sleep apnea and profound snoring.
As Lansdowne dentists can detect symptoms of sleep apnea, they can also suggest a number of ways to resolve it including tongue retaining tools, mandibular repositioning equipment, or continuous positive air pressure (CPAP).
Moreover, other ways for sleep apnea to be resolved include the very basic solution – adjusting the way you sleep. It’s simply a state of mind for sufferers of sleep apnea. Nevertheless, if you are much more confident with using certain appliances, you can do so by consulting your dentist.
At Riverside Dental, we are a team of Lansdowne dentists ready to help you get back that perfect smile. Contact us today to learn more about the services we offer.