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Sleep issues these days are rampant, with 70% of adults in the US reporting trouble sleeping at least one day of the month. And while these restless nights can be caused by any number of factors, it’s also easy to overlook some of the more common culprits.
Sleep testing is a way for healthcare providers to understand more about an individual’s breathing patterns. A qualified dentist can determine whether it’s an obstruction that’s keeping a patient up at night and, if so, what kind of Oral Appliance Therapy they would benefit from.
The Facts of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
OSA is the most common type of sleep apnea, one that refers to a blockage of air after the tissues of your throat constrict at night. Dental Sleep Medicine is a field that’s expanded over the years because it offers customized solutions to patients who want to get a better night’s sleep. With testing, a dentist will look at oxygen levels and breathing efforts and track the data over time.
In this case, the dentist doesn’t take the place of a sleep physician, but they can work with a physician to come up with a treatment protocol. The plan will need to actively address a patient’s OSA or any other muscle irregularities while asleep.
Why Get Sleep Tested?
If you’re experiencing any of the following, it might be time for a test:
- A partner complains of excessive or loud snoring.
- A partner has noticed that your breath pauses at night or you’ve recorded irregular breathing patterns.
- You’re constantly tired during the day.
- You wake up gasping or with a sore throat.
- You have frequent headaches in the morning.
- Your blood pressure is high.
- You have difficulty concentrating or excessive mood swings.
Find a Sleep Testing Dentist
They understand how the tissues can be moved so that air can flow freely again. Dentists also prioritize solutions that integrate with your lifestyle, meaning they’ll typically start people off with an easy-to-use oral appliance (e.g., a mouthguard or retainer). If you’re looking for sleep testing that can change your world for the better, we’re here to help.
Snoring
Snoring is something many of us do every single night. While it’s normal, that doesn’t mean it’s healthy. In fact, frequent, loud snoring may indicate you have a sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea. In other cases, snoring may not be an issue at all.
If you snore, you may consider visiting a sleep doctor. This is especially true if you also have other symptoms, like waking up throughout the night or daytime tiredness. These professionals will ask you questions and possibly conduct sleep testing to determine if you have a sleep condition.
Causes of Snoring
Snoring usually happens because of a blockage in your airway during sleep. This blockage causes tissues in your mouth, nose, and throat to vibrate, leading to the common snoring sounds.
Several different factors can cause an airway blockage, including:
- Alcohol and sedatives. Alcohol and sedative medications can cause your face and throat muscles to relax, leading to an airway blockage.
- Age. Our muscle tone decreases as we age, which can lead to restricted airways.
- Anatomy. Some people have large tonsils, an oversized tongue, or enlarged adenoids, which can make it hard to breathe properly.
- Family history. Snoring runs in families.
- Weight. Snoring is more common in those who are overweight or obese.
Keep in mind that snoring isn’t always a problem. However, you should visit a healthcare provider if snoring affects your sleep quality.
Snoring Treatment Options
If snoring is negatively impacting your life, your healthcare provider may suggest a sleep study. This is to determine if you have a sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea. Snoring is a very common symptom of this sleep condition.
For treatment, it depends on the severity of your snoring. If it’s only minor, your doctor may recommend certain lifestyle changes, such as maintaining your weight, avoiding alcohol before bed, and changing sleeping positions.
If our doctor finds out you have sleep apnea, a CPAP machine may help. A CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine pushes air into your airways while you sleep, helping you breathe better. This is the leading treatment for sleep apnea.
Sleep Apnea Solutions
Sleep apnea is a common disorder, one that many people associate with irritating snoring. However, this condition is more than just nighttime noise. Those with sleep apnea experience an obstruction of air, which can lead to a number of symptoms. From shortness of breath to chronic fatigue, it’s a problem that typically requires (relatively) immediate treatment.
How Can a Dentist Help with Sleep Apnea?
Dentists work with the muscles in the mouth and throat on a regular basis, so they understand how air can become constricted at night and what it takes to restore the breath. There are two major types of sleep apnea, but the most common one is OSA (Obstructive Sleep Apnea).
With this condition, the passage of air is blocked for a few seconds or less at a time. It may be accompanied by snoring, but it doesn’t have to be. In some cases, the person will simply pause their breath and then restart again without anyone being the wiser. They may wonder why they’re tired the next day, and have no explanation.
A dentist can not only help diagnose the issue, they can also recommend treatments that counteract the effects. Some people will be able to beat apnea by making long-term changes in their lives, such as losing weight. In the meantime, they can wear corrective devices, such as a retainer or mouth guard, to reposition the soft tissue while they’re asleep.
CPAP machines are also a common solution for apnea, though it should be noted that their bulkiness can present logistical problems for patients, particularly if they need to do any kind of overnight travel.
Our dentist can work with you to find the right treatment for you, so you can get a better night’s rest.
Finding a Sleep Apnea Dentist
OSA can be brought on by anything from smoking to obesity. However, some forms of apnea are caused by spinal or brain disorders that affect how the brain signals the body to breathe. Dentists can work with both types of patients and help them find solutions that integrate with their lifestyle.
Dental Sleep Medicine
Sleep medicine involves the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of sleep-related problems. As sleep disorders are common, it’s important to get screened regularly by your doctor. If left untreated, sleep conditions can increase the chance of experiencing a stroke, heart disease, depression, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and other problems.
Sleep experts are continuing to learn how crucial sleep is for our overall health. If you get poor sleep, you can experience issues with mood, immunity, stress, and your overall health.
Sleep Medicine and the Mind/Body Connection
When you visit a sleep medicine doctor, they won’t just look at your sleep—they will consider how the entire body impacts the quality of your sleep.
These specialists will look at the following areas:
- Respiratory system
- Nervous system
- Circulatory system
- Endocrine system
- Musculoskeletal system
This allows these specialists to better treat their patients. By understanding how the body works together, these experts can find the best treatment for your needs.
We Specialize in Sleep Medicine
People with apnea can wake up gasping or even choking. People with intense snoring may find themselves yawning all day. Seeing a specialist for something as convenient as an oral appliance can change your world and give you back all of the wonderful restorative benefits of a good night’s sleep. Contact us today!
Sleep Appliances
Sleep appliances in dentistry refer to corrective devices designed to treat conditions like snoring or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Because the tissues of your mouth relax while you’re asleep, this can cause either vibrations that lead to snoring or a blockage of air from narrowed passages.
Getting treatment for this can not only help you stop unwanted noises at night, it can also be the key to improving your health. A retainer, mouth guard, or other appliance can make it possible for you to take uninterrupted breaths for as long as you’re asleep.
What Is an Oral Appliance?
An oral appliance will fit over your teeth and support your jaw while you’re sleeping. It’s essentially moving your mouth and throat into the right position, so your airway stays open. These devices can be custom-fit to your body, and they’re proven to reduce nighttime disruptions.
Whether you’re interested in an oral appliance to help a partner sleep a little easier or because you’re exhausted during the day, a qualified dentist can make it easy to get the products you need. They may work with a sleep physician to test your breathing patterns or they may work with you one-on-one. Regardless of how you get the device, it can be a key step toward better rest.
Benefits of Oral Appliance Therapy
Oral appliances are typically easy to wear, light, portable, and convenient. Because apnea and snoring are common conditions, the point of these products is to encourage people to use them on a regular basis.
Complex products, like CPAP machines, can be useful, but they’re ultimately large and bulky, which can make travel difficult. With oral appliance therapy, it’s possible for people with mild to moderate snoring or sleep apnea the relief they need.
Sleep Breathing
Snoring can be a frustrating condition both for you and for your family or partner. When you snore, it makes getting a good night’s sleep difficult. Yet beyond that, snoring can indicate underlying health issues that you need to treat. At Vantus Sleep and Wellness, we treat a wide range of snoring conditions to help our patients sleep better and avoid the health risks of poor sleep. Upper airway resistance syndrome snoring is one example of these conditions.
Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome
Upper airway resistance syndrome, or UARS, is a condition wherein the soft tissue in the throat relaxes too much during sleep and blocks airflow. The most common symptom of UARS is snoring, often severe. This condition is not the same as obstructive sleep apnea, which is more severe, but it can have a similar underlying cause.
What Are the Symptoms of UARS?
If you have UARS, you may notice that sleep is difficult. Even if you do sleep, you may wake up feeling tired or struggle with sleepiness during the day. However, you will not stop breathing during sleep, so there are fewer health risks associated with this condition.
In addition to sleep disturbances, you may notice increased snoring. Some patients also exhibit trouble with their thinking or memory during the day due to their poor sleep.
How Is UARS Different from Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea occurs when obstructions or other health conditions stop you from breathing. UARS occurs when the airflow slows, but there is no complete obstruction. Both are uncomfortable, but sleep apnea is more dangerous because it can cause fatal complications.
Another difference is the patient’s health. Someone with sleep apnea is more likely to be severely overweight, while UARS occurs in people with average weight most of the time.
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