Sleep Apnea Treatment
Find Your Solution to Snoring with a Snore Guard
Are you one of the many individuals who suffer from snoring? This occurs when the soft tissues of your throat narrow causing a vibration as the air passes through. The restriction in airflow can be severe enough to cause sleep apnea.
If you’re a suitable candidate, we will make you a custom snore guard that will fit your mouth precisely and help to alleviate snoring by clearing a blocked throat passage.
The separate trays that fit over your upper and lower teeth are connected in such a way that it moves your lower jaw forward and downward. This means that the soft tissues in your mouth don’t collapse onto your airway and close it. It remains open so that you’re getting enough oxygen while you sleep.
Before this can happen, you need an official diagnosis so that we understand the extent of your problem.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a medical condition and for this reason, proper diagnosis is important. It occurs when you repeatedly stop and start breathing during sleep. This happens when your throat closes and air can’t move through your airway.
You literally end up gasping for air and this can happen several times throughout the night. You may not even aware that it’s happening but you wake up feeling as though you haven’t had a restful sleep. Diagnosis of the condition usually involves undergoing a sleep study in a sleep laboratory. You will stay there overnight in order to identify what type of sleep disorder you have.
If you are diagnosed with central sleep apnea, your brain is sending messages to your lungs to breathe but they are not receiving the message. If you have obstructive sleep apnea, something anatomical is blocking the upper airway.
Mixed sleep apnea is a result of a combination of central and obstructive sleep apnea episodes. If you have obstructive or mixed sleep apnea and you use a snoring device, the results could be harmful. In this case, you will probably need to use a CPAP Machine (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Machine).
Why Wear a Custom-made Snoring Guard?
It’s possible to buy snoring devices over the counter but there are a number of benefits to wearing a custom-made one, including:
- It’s one of the most comfortable ways to treat obstructive sleep apnea
- The device is specially designed for your mouth so it’s more effective
- A custom-made snore guard lasts longer than a prefabricated one
While there are prefabricated snoring devices that claim you can customize them yourself at home, they are unlikely to ever fit as well. A custom snoring device is made specifically for you and your dentist is able to monitor and adjust it.
When we make a snoring guard for you, we take impressions of your upper and lower teeth. We take measurements to assess the movement of your jaw. You return to us for a fitting once the appliance has been made.
What are the Benefits of Wearing a Snoring Device?
The main benefit of wearing a snoring guard is that you and your partner will be able to sleep restfully. The consequences of not getting enough sleep can be serious and affect your overall health.
You may become depressed, suffer from high blood pressure and gain weight. When the quality of your sleep increases, you will feel more energetic and experience many other health benefits.
Schedule an Appointment for Snoring Devices
Proper diagnosis is very important to make sure that you’re not suffering from a more serious sleep condition. As a snoring guard means the jaw is in a slightly forward position, this can put pressure on the joints and teeth. It may also cause you to grind your teeth. If you wake up in the morning with a sore jaw, there’s a chance that this could be happening.
You may suffer from a dry mouth if your lips can’t close over the device or if you have trouble breathing through your nose. If the device fits too snugly, you may experience some pain and need to get it adjusted.
Other ways to alleviate snoring consist of sleeping on your side, maintaining a healthy diet and exercise regimen to lose weight and avoiding alcohol or drug consumption before bed.
Speak to your dentist about this
procedure today.
At Orchard Park Dental, we are happy to answer any questions you may have about this procedure. Call our office to book an appointment for one of our services today. Call at 905-664-7252 or email us at [email protected]