Many of us think of snoring as something to not be overly concerned about—if you think this, change your way of thinking now. Unfortunately, frequent, loud snoring may be a sign of sleep apnea, which is a common and potentially serious disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts as you sleep. It is important to distinguish between snoring and sleep apnea so that you can get the best treatment available without waiting any longer.
Snoring Causes Problems
Severe snoring can cause an array of problems, including sleep disturbances for the snorer and other household members, as well as walking episodes. Snoring does not always result in sleep apnea, but chronic snoring may indicate that there is some sort of an underlying sleep disorder present. If left untreated, snoring and/or sleep apnea can increase a person’s risk of:
- High blood pressure
- Heart attacks
- Diabetes
- Daytime sleepiness
- Car accidents
Either way you look at it, snoring and sleep apnea are harmful to your health and your partner’s health. Instead of “just dealing with” snoring, seeking treatment is important!
Oral Appliance Therapy for Relief
As you may already know, the American Sleep Disorder Association endorsed oral appliance therapy as the third currently acceptable treatment modality for snoring and sleep apnea. The largest number of patients who currently suffer from sleep apnea are in the mild to moderate categories and should be treated with oral appliances. Despite the fact that treatment with the CPAP machine is extremely successful, there are a number of patients who cannot or choose not to wear the face mask with the attached air compressor.
For these patients, oral appliances provided by a dentist trained in dental sleep medicine are proving to be an excellent treatment option. There are three types of oral appliance currently available for the treatment of sleep apnea:
- Soft palatal life appliance
- Tongue retaining appliance
- Mandibular repositioner
To find out more about oral appliance therapy and how your dentist can help in treatment of snoring and sleep apnea, contact Craniofacial Pain & Dental Sleep Center of Georgia today! You can rest easy knowing there is relief from your condition.