How Can Your Dentist Help With Your Sleep Apnea?
Are you suffering from sleep apnea and looking for effective treatments for your condition? You might be surprised to learn that your dentist could be able to help. If you’re struggling with sleep-related ailments, such as excessive snoring, insomnia, or an inability to sleep through the night, consult with your dentist to see if your sleep apnea might be related to your oral health.
Many Oklahomans experience difficulty sleeping or loud snoring at some point in their lives. Yet they don’t realize that one of the first steps they should take in response is to speak with their dentist for a possible solution. Today I’ll be looking at the links between sleep apnea and dental hygiene and discuss some possible treatments you should consider.
What is sleep apnea?
Sleep apnea is a type of sleep disorder, which has the potential to be quite serious, that involves the repeated stopping and starting of a person’s breathing while they are asleep. It can take multiple forms, and in the worst cases can have severe health impacts and should be treated as soon as possible.
One type of the disease is known as obstructive sleep apnea. This occurs due to a relaxing of the throat muscles that support the soft palate. When these muscles relax, it allows your airway passages to narrow or even close all together, leading to difficulty breathing and a lack of oxygen to the brain. Sensing this, the brain will jolt you awake, so that you can breathe in more deeply.
The second form of sleep apnea is known as central sleep apnea. This happens because your brain is not sending the correct signals to the muscles that control your breathing. This is not as common as obstructive sleep apnea, but will similarly result in the person waking up throughout the night as they try and get adequate amounts of oxygen.
Finally, the third form of sleep apnea is known as complex sleep apnea syndrome. This is the result of someone having both of the above conditions, and can result in a much more serious condition.
The symptoms that would indicate that you might be suffering from sleep apnea include loud snoring, gasping for air during sleep, waking up with a dry mouth or a morning headache, insomnia, excessive drowsiness during waking hours, general irritability, and a lack of concentration.
If you are reporting any combination of these symptoms, it’s a good idea to consult with a medical expert to get a full diagnosis. It should be noted that there is a lot of overlap between the different types of sleep apnea in terms of the signs and symptoms, so a full medical examination will be necessary to determine which form of the condition you have.
What are the Risk Factors for Sleep Apnea?
There are a number of risk factors that when present, especially in combination, will mean that you are more likely to suffer from sleep apnea. Some common factors include obesity, age (the older you are the more at risk you are of sleep apnea), consumption of alcohol, sedatives, and other muscle relaxants, and smoking.
Some genetic predispositions also can have an effect, such as your neck circumference. People with a thicker neck are more prone to sleep apnea. The same is true for people with a narrower throat passage. A family history with sleep apnea also indicates that are more likely to suffer from it yourself, as do breathing related allergies. Finally, males are more likely to have sleep apnea than females.
How is Sleep Apnea Related to Dental Health?
The first thing to realize about the connection between sleep apnea and dentistry is that a dentist who knows what to look for can find a number of risk factors for sleep apnea that weren’t mentioned above. The structure and shape of the mouth, throat, and nasal passages can all impact a person’s likelihood of suffering from sleep apnea and the severity of the condition.
For instance, a person with narrow maxillary and mandibular arches is more likely to have sleep apnea. Other indicators include a large, scalloped tongue, a narrow, vaulted hard palate, and a retrognathic mandible. If the dentist is unable to see the posterior wall of your pharynx, or notices that your soft palate is hanging below the posterior aspect of the tongue, these should also be concerning signs. What all these symptoms have in common is they would indicate that a person will have more difficulty getting oxygen to the lungs, especially during sleep.
It should be noted that just because a dentist may have reason to believe that a patient is suffering from sleep apnea, it can only be officially diagnosed by a medical doctor. But because many people see their dentists more often than they see their doctor, it is common for your dentist to be the first person to notice the signs and ask you about it. This is of course assuming that your dentist has been trained in what to look for.
What can your Dentist do to Treat Sleep Apnea?
One of the common sleep apnea treatments is an oral appliance that is specially fitted to help reposition the tongue and lower jaw during sleep. A properly fitted appliance of this sort can help ensure that your throat passage remains open during sleep and help reduce snoring. Your dentist may also be able to suggest other remedies and sleeping best practices that can help reduce the occurrence and severity of sleep apnea and other sleeping disorders, such as grinding teeth and more.
If you or someone you love is having difficulty sleeping through the night or suffers from excessive snoring, be sure to ask your dentist about it during your next appointment.
Your Grove, Oklahoma Dentist Professional
Dr. Karl Jobst and the entire team at Grand Lake Dental have been serving families in the region for nearly two decades. During that time, we’ve seen and helped treat all kinds of sleeping disorders, including sleep apnea. We understand that nothing can compare to a good night’s sleep, and we are committed to helping all of our patients enjoy great dental health.
Contact us today to schedule a consultation.