Do you snore or wake up still feeling tired and groggy?
Sleep disorders are a growing health concern, affecting millions of Americans, resulting in a range of health issues related to poor sleep and other side effects. Seeking diagnosis and treatment for a sleep-related disorder is important for your overall health. Sleep-disordered breathing and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) can affect your oral health, and is often caused by collapsing soft tissue at the back of your throat.
Common Risk Factors for Sleep Apnea
Although anyone can be diagnosed with sleep apnea, there are certain risk factors that everyone should be aware of to prevent additional health problems. At Smile Dental Group, we screen for the signs of sleep apnea and work with at-risk and diagnosed patients to manage their care and ensure appropriate restorative treatment.
- Male, especially over age 45
- Diabetic
- Hypertensive, high blood pressure
- Overweight, obese
- Large neck circumference
- Smoker
If you fall within any of the above higher-risk categories or are concerned that you may have sleep apnea, discuss your concerns at your next routine dental visit or schedule a visit with us in one of our Antelope Valley dental offices. Our dentists can work with you to obtain the proper medical diagnosis through sleep testing.
Sleep Apnea Treatment: What are my options?
The “gold standard” of treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea, is Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) therapy. This is a common treatment for OSA. The CPAP machine is a small device that is strapped around your nose and/or mouth. The device pushes more air into your lungs to increase pressure so your airway does not collapse. Most insurance companies now pay for CPAP treatment.
For patients with mild to moderate sleep apnea, or who are intolerant of the CPAP, we offer oral appliance therapy as an alternative treatment option.
Oral appliance therapy for sleep apnea and sleep disordered breathing is convenient, comfortable and portable. The appliance is custom fit and designed to position the jaw to prevent soft tissue at the back of the throat from collapsing into the airway. This is what leads to a repeated cessation of normal breathing during sleep, depriving the brain and vital organs of oxygen. Over time, sleep apnea can significantly increase a patient’s risk for a stroke or heart attack.
Cure Sleep Apnea Today
Smile Dental Group can offer comfortable treatments for OSA and snoring. Request an appointment online, or give us a call at (661) 947-9990 today.