Silverdale Dental Center cares about every aspect of our patients’ health. Many of our patients do not realize that our practice can assist with a variety of health issues that relate to oral and dental health—including snoring and sleep apnea.
If you frequently feel exhausted and too fatigued to keep up with your daily routines, our practice can help. Both sleep apnea and snoring problems can severely disrupt your sleep, and even increase your risk of heart attack, stroke, and other severe health issues.
Dental treatments and appliances can make a significant difference in these conditions. We offer oral devices and other dental therapies to help you get control of your health and achieve a better night’s sleep.
What Causes Snoring?
Snoring is not just a nuisance for anyone sharing a room with you at night. It can also impact both the quality and duration of your sleep. Snoring is common and can affect anyone from children to adults, but it’s nothing to brush off as simply an annoyance.
Snoring can be caused by a variety of factors, including:
- Tongue or jaw obstruction
- Anatomy and body composition
- Medications or substances
- Nasal congestion
- Sleeping position
- Temporomandibular joint disorder
- Partially erupted wisdom teeth
Snoring may also be caused by genetic factors, but in some cases, it can indicate the presence of a more serious condition: obstructive sleep apnea.
Should I Be Worried About Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder that makes it difficult to breathe and receive enough oxygen while you are asleep. Because it only occurs while you are asleep, many people with the condition may not even know they have it at all.
If you frequently experience. . .
- Loud snoring
- Headaches in the morning
- Insomnia
- Trouble staying awake during the day
- Mood swings
- Chronic dry mouth
. . . or other similar discomforts when you wake up in the morning, come visit our dentist office for a sleep apnea consultation. Dr. Niemeyer is an oral health provider who can help to manage this sleep disorder.
Health Concerns Related to Sleep Apnea
If left untreated, sleep apnea can result in further health problems, such as:
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease or malfunction
- Diabetes
- Stroke
- Heart attack
- Obesity
- Metabolic syndrome
- Insomnia
- Daytime fatigue
- Mood disorders
Sleep apnea leaves you feeling poorly rested day after day, which can make it difficult to concentrate or maintain a positive mood. This can begin to affect various aspects of your life and make it difficult to keep up with work, family, friends, and personal matters.
Why Visit a Dentist for Sleep Apnea Treatment?
Dentists are uniquely equipped with a thorough understanding of oral and dental anatomy. Our practice is qualified to provide oral appliance therapy to patients with sleep apnea.
We work with our patients to explore many non-invasive treatment options to manage the symptoms of sleep apnea, including custom, specialty appliances that keep the jaw in place and allow the airways to remain open while sleeping.
When you seek treatment for sleep apnea at Silverdale Dental Center, we work with you to determine the best course of treatment for your lifestyle and condition. We work with a sleep physician who makes the official diagnosis and also helps choose options for treatment.
- Nasal Breathing Exercises and Decongestants | Whether due to your anatomy or a related medical condition, some cases of sleep apnea and snoring can be managed through decongestant medications and various exercises designed to strengthen your tongue, throat, and facial muscles to prevent lax muscles from obstructing the airways during sleep.
- Invisalign® | Surprisingly, this advanced orthodontic treatment can do more than just straighten your teeth. Patients with a narrow bite or significant teeth crowding can benefit from Invisalign® clear braces to reshape and widen the dental arch, which can have an effect on breathing obstructions throughout the night.
- NightLase® | Soft, weak tissues can collapse or slump in your throat or nasal cavity, blocking the flow of air while you’re fast asleep. NightLase is a non-invasive laser treatment that tightens soft tissues so they’re less likely to relax and obstruct your airways and give you a significant chance of better sleep. We use the top-of-the-line LightWalker® laser to help this procedure be extra quick, comfortable, and smooth.
- Oral Obstructive Sleep Apnea Device | Worn like a nighttime mouth guard, dental devices designed to treat sleep apnea work by repositioning your jaw and maintaining a healthy alignment that keeps your throat open during the night. These devices are known to work for a wide variety of sleep apnea cases, from mild to even severe conditions.
Call Us Today To Find Out More About Snoring and Sleep Apnea
If you’re concerned that sleep apnea or significant snoring is impacting your health, call Silverdale Dental Center to explore the many treatment options we have to help you achieve better, more restful sleep.
