Dental Sleep Medicine for Snoring and OSA
If you have been told by your new partner that you snore and it’s only getting worse since your wedding night, it’s time to call Chittenden Dental for dental sleep medicine.
Dr. Mike Morris is a licensed and experienced dental sleep medicine provider that can help you and your significant other get the rest you need without having to purchase a pair of earplugs.
What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
OSA or obstructive sleep apnea is a disorder that causes breathing cessation. These pauses in breathing can happen up to 30 times or more every hour. You can only imagine the wear and tear that causes. Worse yet, people who live alone don’t even know they are suffering.
Some of the problems that obstructive apnea bring include:
- Trouble Staying Awake
- Insomnia
- Dry Mouth
- Sore Throat
- Headaches
- Depression
- Restlessness
- Anxiety
- Mood Swings
- Low Libido
People with obstructive sleep apnea often have trouble staying awake at work and worse yet, at the wheel.
If you have problems staying awake and don’t have a partner to witness your breathing cessations, call and schedule an appointment with your OSA dentist in Burlington. Sleep apnea can be deadly, but it’s not just driving you need to be concerned about.
Obstructive sleep apnea is hard on your heart. In fact, people who have OSA are twice as likely to suffer from a heart attack. Other problems that arise from obstructive sleep apnea include stroke and COPD.
What Causes OSA?
Your dental sleep medicine dentist explains that there is no one cause when it comes to obstructive sleep apnea. With that being said, you could be at risk if you are overweight or have a larger neck size.
Other people in the high-risk category include:
- Women who are postmenopausal
- Children with tonsils and adenoids
- Men
- Heavy smokers and drinkers
- People who have a family history of OSA
- People on certain medications
- Men and women over 65
Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatments and Dental Sleep Medicine
CPAP Therapy-The most common treatment for obstructive sleep apnea is CPAP therapy. This type of treatment involves a machine hooked up to a hose that is hooked up to a machine. The hose is then connected to a mask that covers your nose and mouth when you sleep.
In some cases Dr. Morris may use CPAP therapy in conjunction with oral appliance therapy for obstructive sleep apnea.
Surgery-Usually a last resort for people with severe obstructive sleep apnea, surgery doesn’t always work. In fact, people who have a family history of the disorder may find the tissue grows back requiring additional surgeries.
After one or two surgeries, most people go back to CPAP therapy or use nothing at all only worsening the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea.
Oral Appliance Therapy-Sleep medicine dentists, such as Dr. Mike Morris, prefer oral appliance therapy as it is less invasive and much more conservative than surgery.
Dr. Morris is a certified and experienced dental sleep medicine provider who can help you sleep better.
Schedule a Dental Sleep Medicine Consultation
If you would like to know more about dental sleep medicine and oral appliance therapy, call or send a text and talk to a team member from Chittenden Dental today.
