Oral appliance therapy can be utilized in the dental treatment of sleep disordered breathing. This therapy is effective for snoring and mild to moderate sleep apnea. Snoring is a sound that is produced when the air passes through relaxed tissue in the back of the throat. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by interruptions in normal breathing patterns overnight. There are three forms of sleep apnea: Obstructive, Central and Mixed. Obstructive sleep apnea affects most patients and snoring is a common symptom.
COMMON CAUSES OF SNORING
• Smoking
• Alcohol
• Health problems
• Obesity
• Obstructed nasal passages
• Poor muscle tone of the tongue
• Daytime fatigue
• Sleep apnea
• Hypothyroidism
• Seasonal allergies
WHEN SNORING LEADS TO SLEEP APNEA
When snoring becomes
sleep apnea, the tissue collapses into the airway causing an obstruction. It becomes difficult to breathe through the confined space that remains. For some people the tissue collapses so severely that it completely blocks the airway making breathing nearly impossible. The result is an apneic episode.
Sleep apnea is a disorder affecting more than 12 million Americans, according to the
National Institutes of Health. It can affect men and women of all ages, even children. Apnea is a Greek word, meaning "without breath." People affected by sleep apnea literally stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, often for between seconds to minutes and possibly occurring hundreds of times per night. As the heart and lungs panic, they send a distress signal to the brain. The brain then floods the body with adrenalin and accelerates the heartbeat. The chest rises as its muscles try to force the body awake in order to restore airway muscle tone and allows air to pass to the lungs again. The body succeeds and as the airway opens, the individual gasps to breathe and then promptly falls back asleep.
Apneic episodes affect the cardiovascular system, cause sexual dysfunction, depression and even death. The bad news is that most people don't remember these events when they wake up, but they may notice other symptoms:
• Headaches upon awakening
• Daytime sleepiness
• Being sleepy during daily activities (driving, reading, watching TV)
• Awakening with a gasp or cough
• Trouble staying asleep
• High blood pressure or hypertension
• Feeling tired despite a full night of sleep
TREATMENT
Dr. Baker has the special training necessary to treat sleep disorders and he works in conjunction with sleep centers and physicians to achieve the best possible results. Many times, a sleep orthotic is the only treatment needed; other times, a sleep orthotic can be used in combination with Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine and/or surgery. We can help determine if you are a candidate for oral appliance therapy.
It is good to know that oral appliances are economical, non-invasive, reversible, painless, are FDA approved and only worn at night. There are many kinds of oral appliances we can provide. We will determine which one is best for your specific problem
FUTURE IN-OFFICE DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT
Soon we will be proud to be one of the
only offices in Manhattan Beach and one of only a few in the country to offer diagnostic equipment to measure the cross sectional area of your airway. This technology is called Pharyngometer and Rhinometer. These instruments offer simple breathing tests to measure the nasal and throat airways. If collapse of the airway is noted, we offer a brief sleep study (Home Sleep Delivered) to take home or we communicate with your family doctor to obtain a referral for an overnight sleep study called a polysomnogram or PSG.
If you need help with sleep disorders related to oral health, please do no hesitate to contact
South Bay Dental Solutions. We are located in Manhattan Beach, CA and provide all general and cosmetic dental services.
South Bay Dental Solutions
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(310) 545-5910
Follow us on Twitter: @mbteeth
