We provide diagnosis and treatment for snoring and sleep apnea to help you manage symptoms and get a good night’s rest.
How snoring and sleep apnea affect your heath
Snoring and sleep apnea can disrupt your sleep and leave you exhausted. Sleep deprivation and sleep disorders have been linked to high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, worsening depression or ADHD, and diabetes.
Snoring
Snoring occurs when air can’t freely move through your airway into your lungs. This results in difficulty breathing and the familiar snoring sound. Snoring can be caused by an obstructed airway, being overweight, your sleeping position, or age. If it isn’t treated it can interfere with the quality of your sleep.
Sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a common and serious sleeping disorder that happens when your regular breathing is interrupted during sleep. Snoring is common among patients with sleep apnea but not all snorers have sleep apnea.
There are two main types of sleep apnea:
- Obstructive sleep apnea. The more common form, it is the result of blocked airflow during sleep, usually when the soft tissue at the back of the throat collapses while you sleep. Health factors, such as obesity may contribute.
- Central sleep apnea. Results from a problem with how the brain signals the breathing muscles. The airway is not blocked, instead the brain fails to signal the muscles to breath. This type of sleep apnea can occur with conditions such as heart failure, brain tumors, brain infections, and stroke.
Treatment
Dental treatment for snoring depends on the cause. Treatments can include orthodontic treatment, bite appliances to reposition the jaws, or sleep counselling.
- Adjusting sleeping habits. This may mean simply not sleeping on your back.
- Continuous positive air pressure (CPAP). This is a device which improves breathing while you sleep. The device supplies air through the nasal passages and the air pressure keeps the airway open while sleeping.
- Oral appliances. Certain oral devices can shift and support the jaw to prevent the airway from collapsing. Research shows that oral appliances can successfully prevent sleep apnea in some mild to moderate cases.
We may also recommend lifestyle changes such as regular exercise, reducing stress, and quitting smoking to reduce or eliminate risk factors that can contribute to snoring or sleep apnea.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to go to my doctor before seeing a dentist for snoring or apnea treatment?
Sleep disorders are medical conditions, and they need to be properly diagnosed before treatment begins. Once you begin treatment with our office dentist, we will work together with your doctor to determine the right treatment for you.
