Let us treat your sleep apnea and help you get a more restful night’s sleep.
Sleep apnea is a very common sleep disorder, but it can be managed with the help of our specialists.
At Prosthodontic Dental Group, our team can help manage your sleep apnea, allowing you to get a better night’s sleep and wake more refreshed. At our California dental office, we can treat sleep apnea with a custom-fit oral appliance, greatly improving your health and quality of life.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, occurs when the airway is blocked during sleep, causing you to stop breathing for longer than normal, gasp for breath, and then wake up briefly. This cycle can happen dozens or even hundreds of times each night, meaning you never get into a restful state of sleep and wake tired each morning.
Symptoms Of Sleep Apnea
The main symptoms of sleep apnea are snoring and cessation of breathing. However, not everyone with sleep apnea snores. If you or a partner notice any of the following symptoms, it’s important to get a sleep apnea evaluation performed by a sleep professional:
- Snoring or gasping for air while sleeping
- Getting sleep that isn’t restful
- Requiring a nap during the day on a regular basis
- Having high blood pressure that is hard to treat
- Waking with a dry and/or sore throat
- Experiencing morning headaches
- Feeling irritable in the mornings
If left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to a number of serious health concerns, including obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart attack, and stroke. This is why it’s so important to get evaluated and treated if you suspect you have sleep apnea.
Risk Factors For Sleep Apnea
Some people are more prone to developing sleep apnea than others. If you are obese, you are more likely to have sleep apnea than those who have a healthy BMI. Men are also more likely to develop sleep apnea than women, as are smokers. Research has also found a link between asthma and sleep apnea.
Ask our team if you have these risk factors and any of the sleep apnea symptoms, and we can introduce you to the right resources for testing.
Sleep Apnea Diagnosis
Only sleep medicine doctors can diagnose sleep apnea. We can help you find a physician if you have indicators for the sleep disorder. The testing process involves either staying overnight in a sleep lab or taking home a testing appliance. Both methods provide data that the doctor can use to diagnose the presence and severity of your sleep apnea. They can also recommend the treatment that would be best for you.
Oral Appliance
If a sleep physician determines that an oral appliance is a good treatment for your sleep apnea, you’ll be able to get the appliance from our office! The custom-fit oral appliance is small, flexible, and has no moving parts, so it’s easy to use and care for. At night, slip the appliance into your mouth, and it will position your upper and lower jaws just right, so your airway remains open and your throat muscles stay relaxed. This alleviates snoring and ensures that your breathing isn’t interrupted, giving you a better night’s sleep.
Sleep apnea can be a major life disruption because of the poor quality of sleep most people with the disorder get. But with treatment using an oral appliance, you can start getting more restful sleep. Call us today to learn more and schedule a consultation.
