Sleep Apnea

Does your snoring wake you up frequently?  Even worse, does your snoring ruin the sleep of your partner?  Snoring is bad, but it is merely a symptom of a possible real disease.   There’s a chance you may have sleep apnea, a condition in which an individual stops breathing while asleep. Trouble breathing can lead to sleepless nights, poor sleep and feeling fatigued during the daytime. Fortunately, there are ways to treat this condition. Distinctive Dental Solutions is here to help. Our talented dentists treat sleep apnea and help you get a better night’s rest through reliable solutions. Learn more about sleep apnea and what can be done. 

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a common condition that can sometimes lead to serious health risks. In healthy people, normal breathing resumes even after falling asleep. However, individuals with sleep apnea suffer from breathing that repeatedly stops and starts again. This can lead to a range of health problems related to lack of sleep as well as danger from low blood oxygen levels. Sleep apnea has been directly linked to all sorts of systemic disease processes both as a cause and as an exacerbating situation to systemic disease.

There are different types of sleep apnea, and the causes depend on the type you have: 

• Obstructive Sleep Apnea: In this form of sleep apnea, throat muscles relax, which leads to the airway narrowing. Since your body doesn’t get enough air, you briefly wake up without even realizing. However, this process can happen up to hundreds of times in a night, leading to noticeable fatigue during the day. The most notable sign is snoring, but not everyone experiences this symptom, so it’s important to speak with a doctor about your individual situation and concerns.    
• Central Sleep Apnea: This less common form occurs when the brain fails to send signals to tell your muscles to breathe, leading to short periods in which you do not breathe. Many individuals awaken with shortness of breath and may have trouble staying asleep.  
• Complex Sleep Apnea Syndrome: An individual has this condition when they deal with both obstructive and central forms of sleep apnea.

Diagnosis depends on the causes of your sleep apnea, namely whether it’s muscular, neurological or a combination of the two. While the causes may differ, each shares a set of common symptoms:

• Breathing stops during sleep
• Loud snoring
• Headaches during the morning
• Daytime drowsiness
• Trouble concentrating
• Irritability
• Dry mouth upon waking
• Gasping for air while sleeping

How Our Dental Team Can Help

For some people, the best treatments are available at their regular dentist’s office. Oral health influences the rest of our body’s wellbeing, and there’s no one who understands the influences of dental health as our team. One possibility is a specially built mouthguard or oral appliance that repositions the jaw. This can help keep airways from being obstructed when you sleep by keeping the lower jaw forward. These can also help to make airways more rigid so they do not collapse while you lay down. 

Since sleep apnea can sometimes lead to dental problems, such as gingivitis, we can treat these issues and help you prevent them through an individualized dental health plan.  

Discuss Your Needs With Us Today

Distinctive Dental Solutions provides treatments for sleep apnea so you can get better sleep. Call our office today to schedule a checkup and to discuss your symptoms.