Restore quality sleep, and prevent scary complications with sleep apnea treatment at the dentist’s office
The dentist’s office may seem like an unlikely place to treat sleep problems. But poor quality sleep and chronic daytime fatigue may be rooted in sleep-disordered breathing.
As an oral anatomy and function specialist, Dr. Abel Aguilar is well-versed in identifying and treating conditions such as snoring and sleep apnea.
Not all dentists in Manchester, Shiloh, Warm Springs, Greenville, Luthersville, and greater western and central Georgia are as equipped to resolve these conditions.
Manchester Dental can work in partnership with other healthcare providers, including family physicians and sleep specialists, to resolve these problems that cause so much stress to the sufferer and the entire household. Furthermore, depending on the nature of the condition, SDBs and related conditions are associated with a range of systemic health problems. So, effective and prompt treatment is essential.
Simply snoring … or something else?
A reported 80 million people in North America snore. Still, habitual snoring affects at least twice as many people as those numbers indicate – including children, long-suffering spouses and partners, and other household members.
The snore itself is produced when the tissues in your throat relax during sleep. As this process occurs, the airway becomes narrowed. So, when you breathe, the air passes by lax tissues and produces that characteristic rattling and rumbling sound. For around half of habitual snorers, snoring is secondary to other conditions. These conditions may include OSA (obstructive sleep apnea). Secondary snoring also produces a characteristic, loud and frequent sound. Additionally, this type of snoring is accompanied by pauses in breathing and other concerns, such as abrupt and loud gasping upon awakening.
The threats of obstructive sleep apnea
Lax tissues may entirely block the flow of air into your lungs. This obstruction persists until your brain panics and wakes you up, frequently with a start and a snort. Also, the breathing pauses associated with sleep apnea often last for 10 seconds or longer. This cycle of sleeping and sudden reawakening may be repeated dozens of times each hour. No wonder patients with sleep apnea never seem to get a good night’s rest, no matter how long they remain in bed. In addition to daytime fatigue and its potential to increase your risk of being involved in worksite and road accidents, untreated sleep apnea is also associated with an increased risk of developing:
- Cognitive impairment
- Obesity
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Depressed mood
- Heart disease
- Stroke
Relieve snoring, and sleep apnea with ease!
Surgical techniques to alter obstruction have success rates of between 20% and 40%. Additionally, other “standards,” such as CPAP therapy, have low compliance rates. Patients tend not to use this therapy due to having to wear a mask during sleep and because of the noise and hassle associated with maintaining the CPAP machine.
Oral appliances prescribed by dental professionals like Dr. Aguilar are non-invasive, comfortable, and cost-effective. There is a multitude of different device designs, and all are carefully selected to each patient’s needs and customized to address specific anatomical challenges. These appliances include mandibular advancement devices, which reposition the jaw. This repositioning alters the placement of the offending throat tissues. So they no longer block your airway during sleep. Other tongue-stabilizing devices can hold the jaw forward and away from the back of the throat. In turn, this muscle no longer obstructs the airway when you relax and sleep.
Relief is a consultation away and in your backyard! Call your neighborhood dentist and home for quality, compassionate care: Manchester Dental. We can be reached at (706) 981-6272. We welcome your questions and look forward to meeting you.