Sleep Apnea Treatment - From the Dentist?

Aug 16, 2019

It is true! The dentists are trained to treat snoring and sleep apnea. Many people believe that a CPAP machine is the only way to treat sleep apnea. For some patients, this might not be the solution.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a condition which has affected many people. This is identified when breathing start and stop during the night’s sleep.

You might be wondering what kind of people have sleep apnea. Males with increased BMI are susceptible to sleep apnea and healthy females get diagnosed with this in the 40s. If sleep apnea left untreated, it can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure and negative side effects.

When a person doesn’t get sufficient oxygen, it leads to some side effects. The jaw shifts because the body is opening the airway. This leads to teeth grinding which is harmful to dental health.

How can Burton Dentistry treat Sleep Apnea?

The symptoms of the sleeping disorder-

  • Grinding teeth
  • Snoring
  • Sleep apnea

If a patient complains about snoring, the dentist checks the signs of teeth grinding by screening their oxygen levels at night. If the oxygen levels come to normal, the dentist will give an oral appliance to prevent teeth grinding. The jaw is pulled forward to prevent snoring.

From mild to moderate cases, sleep apnea is treated with an oral appliance. This is custom-made for the patients and less intrusive than a CPAP machine. In severe cases, CPAP therapy is the best treatment and patients with sleep apnea are referred to a sleep specialist or physician for therapy. Many people prefer oral appliance because it is comfortable, quiet, portable and easy to wear. There is another treatment option for severe cases i.e. upper airway surgery.

The use of oral appliance therapy is the best for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and snoring in adults. It is worn in the mouth during sleep and athletes use while playing sports. A custom-fit oral sleep appliance is an effective treatment to prevent the airway from collapsing by supporting the jaw. Go to the Burton Dentistry for the treatment to get rid of snoring in Alexandria.

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