What do patients say about snoring?
Most of the time when I ask that question, patients will laugh and say, “Well, my wife says I snore,” or “My husband says I snore,” and it’s really funny because the spouses usually tell on each other.
What can you do in the office at Gearin Aesthetic and General Dentistry to help with snoring or sleep apnea?
There are a couple of things that we can do here in the office to help you address that problem. First, if you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, we always encourage you to work with your doctor to make sure that it’s being treated properly and that you’re getting the proper care to help address that. Sleep apnea can be very dangerous for your overall health, and we like to work with your doctor in that case.
Why do people snore?
We have a lot of patients who snore. One of the reasons is that when we lie down, our lower jaw slides back. That also causes our tongue and the soft tissue in the back of our throat to collapse. That’s your airway. Everybody’s airway is a different size. Some people are definitely more prone to snore or have sleep apnea, whether it’s from an upper airway issue in the nose or lower down in the throat and the actual airway itself. When that happens, you get that loud noise when you’re breathing and sleeping, and your spouse is saying, “Roll over,” or maybe even has to sleep in another room.
What if I have sleep apnea and struggle with a CPAP machine?
If you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea and you find that you are struggling to be compliant with your CPAP machine, or if you have mild to moderate sleep apnea and have not been recommended to wear a sleep apnea device but still feel like you’re not getting restful sleep, we do have a device and some treatment that we can recommend for you that is very helpful and beneficial.
How do dental devices for sleep apnea work?
There are probably hundreds of devices that have been designed by dentists and doctors to treat sleep apnea. They are recognized and approved by the FDA to treat mild to moderate sleep apnea or alleviate snoring symptoms. All of them kind of work the same way. When you’re sleeping, they help reposition the lower jaw forward and hold it in that place so that your tongue and the soft tissue open up that area, helping you sleep better.
What device do you recommend most often for sleep apnea?
The device that we recommend most commonly here in the office is called an EMA appliance. We get a lot of compliance with that because it is more comfortable. It is less bulky than some of the others. It is like a clear retainer that fits on the top and the bottom, and then we have these little plastic bands that reposition the lower jaw forward. We get a lot of compliance and a lot of good results with this.
The bands are different lengths, and we help you find which length is comfortable for you. There’s a sweet spot between what’s effective and what causes your jaw to feel a little uncomfortable. We work with you to figure that out. We can even work with your doctor to help titrate that if you’re using it to treat sleep apnea. Again, I encourage you to work with your physician if that is the case.
When should I contact Gearin Aesthetic and General Dentistry for sleep-related issues?
If you have any questions regarding snoring and sleep apnea and whether the device that we prescribe could be helpful for you, please give us a call at (702) 710-8847. A lot of patients who have used this, even just for snoring, always come back and thank me later. Sometimes they lose their device or need a new one, or they go on a trip and forget it. Then they realize how awful it was without it. They’re getting a lot more restful sleep. Spouses benefit, too. I call it the “spouse saver” because you can sleep in the same room and not be woken up. There are a lot of things that this can help with!
Want to learn more? Call Gearin Aesthetic and General Dentistry at (702) 710-8847 or email [email protected]. Our team is happy to answer your questions and help schedule your visit.