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All Posts in Category: Oral Appliances

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snoring and oral appliances

Turn to Dupont Dental for Snoring and Oral Appliances Help

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Snoring used to be looked upon as nothing more than a nuisance that caused spouses to shake their loved one awake so they could reposition themselves and everyone could then get a good night sleep. Thanks to fairly recent research though it’s now evident that snoring is far from the benign occurrence that everyone thought it was. Of the estimated 60 million Americans who snore, about 18 million of them also suffer from obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

What Exactly is Snoring?

To better understand snoring, OSA and its effects on a person, it’s important to define snoring accurately. Snoring occurs when your breathing is obstructed in some manner as you sleep. It results in the pharyngeal tissue vibrating as you breath. This obstruction could be the result of various factors including increased fat deposits caused by obesity. When a person takes a sedative or drinks alcohol before going to sleep, an increase in snoring could result. This is because the pharyngeal airway collapses more.

Another common cause of snoring is when the tongue becomes too relaxed. If this is the cause of snoring, it can be corrected easily by wearing an oral appliance. This device works by moving both the tongue and the lower jaw forward enough so that the airway stays open while the person is sleeping.

Perceptions Slowly Change

Until recently, it was thought that snoring was limited to being a social problem. Having a partner who snores can have a serious and negative impact on that person’s well-being. In addition to leading to daytime fatigue, having a partner who snores could result in the couple having separate bedrooms. It can also have a negative effect on the health of the bed partner. A recent report by USA Today found that of those couples who were aged 40 and older, 27 percent slept in separate spaces. It’s expected that as obesity in the population increases, so will the percentage of couples who must deal with snoring.

Snoring and Health Risks

Instead of being solely a social problem that largely affects only those around them, the person who snores is also at risk of side effects from OSA. These include heart attack, stroke, heart disease, high blood pressure, heart arrhythmias and even death. If you are a snorer, it’s important to seek out care from a dentist with experience in the oral appliances that can put a stop to obstructive sleep apnea.

How Oral Appliances Can Help

While the health risks associated with snoring are scary, there are effective snoring remedies that can help. Two devices that are effective are a tongue retaining mouthpiece and a mandibular advancement device (MAD). The tongue retaining mouthpiece keeps the tongue from relaxing over the airway while the MAD moves the jaw forward to keep the airway open.

Working closely with your physician is the key to determining the right snoring solutions for your sleep apnea. At Dupont Dental, we custom design these oral devices, so they work comfortably and effectively. Contact us today to schedule an appointment or for more information.

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Comments Off on What is an Oral Appliance and How Can it Improve Sleep
How Oral Appliances can help with sleep apnea

What is an Oral Appliance and How Can it Improve Sleep

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Many people suffer during the night from various conditions while they are asleep. These include apnea. Sufferers of sleep apnea will have trouble breathing during sleep. This is because their airways can tighten or wholly close for anywhere between a couple of seconds to a few minutes. Sleep apnea may sound like a very scary condition, but, thankfully, it is easy to treat, and sufferers can easily manage it.

One of the best ways to treat sleep apnea is by using an oral appliance. These are used to keep the airways open throughout the night. While the wearer is wearing their oral appliance, they don’t have to worry about waking up, unable to breathe in the evening.

So how does an oral appliance work? Very simply put, it is inserted into the mouth to keep the jaw and airway open. As the wearer has to be able to sleep with this contraption in their mouth, it is critical that it is correctly fitted. That is why each appliance is individually fitted to each patient. So if your dentist thinks you will benefit from one, he or she will need you to book another appointment. In this appointment, the dentist will fit an appliance so that you can wear it without any discomfort. And that also means you will be able to sleep without worrying about or being bothered by the oral appliance!

Not only does the oral appliance help sleep apnea sufferers to breathe continually throughout the night, but it also has some other advantages. It can help snorers to cut down on excessive snoring. Sleep apnea usually causes this, so the two symptoms often go hand in hand. Not only that, but it prevents you from being woken up by your very own noisy and laboured breathing.

Not sure if you could benefit from an oral appliance? There are some ways to tell if you suffer from sleep apnea. However, many people do not realize they have been suffering for it until they have had it for a few years. And that is because people often sleep through their symptoms. However, if you think you might be a sufferer, speak to your dentist.

Symptoms of sleep apnea include fatigue and sleepiness throughout the day. Sufferers also complain about memory loss and poor concentration. Mood swings, irritability, and depression are also included in the list of symptoms. Many patients also suffer from a loss of libido. Male sufferers will experience erectile dysfunction at some point as well.

So if you think that you may have sleep apnea, or that you could benefit from an oral appliance for another reason, speak to your dentist. He or she will be able to discuss your symptoms with you to figure out if it is the best way forward for you. Some dentists can fit a patient’s oral appliance themselves. Others might have to refer their patients to an oral medicine specialist.

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