Dental Sleep Apnea Appliance & Snore Prevention Specialist

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is a medical condition characterized by episodes of disrupted breathing during sleep. Breathing starts and stops throughout the night when your throat muscles relax and block the airway.

Symptoms of sleep apnea include:

• Loud snoring
• Dry, sore throat when you wake up
• Comments from others about paused breathing during sleep
• Feeling unrested after you wake up
• Waking up in the middle of the night with shortness of breath

What causes snoring and sleep apnea?

When the throat muscles relax enough to cut off your airways during sleep, your throat vibrates as you try to breathe in. Snoring is often a sign of obstructive sleep apnea, especially periods of non-breathing accompany it.

When you stop breathing, and the brain realizes you’re not getting enough air, it wakes you up to restart your breathing. These ongoing sleep disruptions lead to daytime drowsiness because you don’t get adequate rest.

Risk factors for snoring and sleep apnea include:

• Excess weight
• Too much palate or nasal tissue
• Nasal congestion
• Deviated septum
• Enlarged tonsils
• Alcohol consumption
• Sleeping on your back

What are the dangers of sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea causes you to experience periods where your body doesn’t get enough oxygen. In the short-term, this may cause daytime fatigue and insomnia.

Obstructive sleep apnea can lead to dangerous complications without treatment, including:

• High blood pressure
• Heart problems
• Metabolic syndrome
• Type 2 diabetes
• Fatty liver disease
• Surgery complications

If you snore or have other symptoms of sleep apnea, it’s important to talk to your physician. Your doctor may perform a physical evaluation and recommend a sleep study. Your dentist can provide relief for snoring and sleep apnea in certain cases.

How can a dentist help with sleep apnea?

The specialists at Fairfax Corner Dental offer the following custom-fitted appliances to help you breathe better during sleep:

Mandibular advancement devices

Mandibular advancement devices extend your lower jaw, which pulls your tongue away from your throat. This forward jaw position keeps the collapsible portion of your throat open.

Tongue-retaining device

Instead of pulling your jaw forward, this appliance holds just your tongue in an extended position. In the same way, it keeps your tongue and palate tissue from vibrating.

If you snore or have obstructive sleep apnea, contact Fairfax Corner Dental online or over the phone to schedule an evaluation.