Snoring isn’t normal when you are trying to get a restful night’s sleep. In fact, snoring, fatigue, and high blood pressure could be a sign that you are suffering from a serious sleeping disorder. The American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine (AADSM) is composed of dentists who specialize in helping you understand and treat sleep apnea through dental sleep medicine. Without the proper treatment, sleeping disorders can negatively impact every aspect of your life, especially your overall health.
Dental Sleep Medicine
If you are like most people, the connection between snoring and your dental health isn’t obvious. However, dentists are more than capable of assisting you with treatment for snoring. In fact, they are your go-to resource.
More specifically, dentists who specialize in dental sleep medicine are experts at treating patients with sleeping disorders like snoring and obstructive sleep apnea.
About Dental Sleep Medicine
The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) explains that dental sleep medicine developed over the past 70 years from a desire to understand the physiology of sleep, circadian biology, and the pathophysiology of sleeping disorders. Over the years, dentists specializing in this area of dentistry have learned much about sleeping disorders. To their dismay, many sleeping disorders have gone undiagnosed; people suffering from these conditions have simply grown accustomed to their sleep irregularities. However, sleep is critically important to sustaining life. If you suffer from any of the following sleeping disorders, you should speak to a dentist who specializes in dental sleep medicine:
Sleep deprivation. When you have a sleep deficiency due to lack of sleep.
Delayed phase disorder. The inability to fall asleep at traditional times and wake at a socially acceptable time.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea. The inability to breathe for periods of time as you sleep.
Dentists specializing in dental sleep medicine can help you with a tailor-made treatment option that will enable you to get a good night’s rest.
Understanding Sleep Apnea
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) defines sleep apnea as a sleeping disorder that causes people to experience breathing pauses while they sleep. Breathing pauses typically last a few seconds to a few minutes. Breathing pauses are concluded by sleepers gasping for air or snorting.
This process continues throughout the night, causing people who suffer from the condition to be extremely tired throughout the day.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is different from sleep apnea. If you suffer from OSA, then you likely stop breathing while you sleep as a result of airway blockage. OSA can also affect other areas of your body. For instance, a complication of having OSA is oxygen deficiency to major organs.
Treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Your treatment options for OSA may vary from others. Treatment options can range from minor changes in the way you sleep to surgery. One of the most common ways dentists treat OSA is using oral appliance therapy.
Oral Appliance Therapy
Specialists who focus on dental sleep medicine use oral appliance therapy for treatment for snoring and OSA. Oral appliance therapy uses devices that are similar to mouth guards and retainers to keep your jaw aligned. With proper alignment, you won’t have to worry about your airways being blocked. These devices are effective for treating both snoring and OSA.
Snoring and Dental Remedies
If you snore, then you know that snoring can be problematic. Beyond disrupting the peace between you and your spouse, snoring can wake you up throughout the night. Fortunately, dental remedies for snoring help you reduce or eliminate snoring, keeping the peace between you and your spouse. Dental remedies for snoring include the mandibular advancement device and a tongue-retaining device.
Dental sleep medicine is the new line of defense against snoring and OSA. If you are tired throughout the day and you snore, consider speaking with Ackerman and Towson Dentistry as we specialize in dental sleep medicine.
Concerned about sleep apnea and looking for treatment? Take our simple online sleep assessment.
