Stop Snoring. Start Sleeping.
Do You Snore?
Snoring can be more than an annoyance. It can be a sign of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), a condition caused by obstruction near the base of the tongue.
The real indication of sleep apnea isn't snoring. It is when snoring stops, along with breathing. Sleep apnea can cause a person to stop breathing for periods of time, sometimes hundreds of times during the night and often for a minute or longer.
Do you have any of the following symptoms?
- Daytime Sleepiness
- Chronic Fatigue
- Morning Headache
- Irritability
- Impaired Memory And Judgment
- Mood Disturbance
You may have Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
What is Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive Sleep Apnea occurs when the tongue and soft palate collapse onto the back of the throat. This blocks the upper airway, causing airflow to stop. When the oxygen level drops low enough, the brain moves out of deep sleep and you partially awaken. The airway then contracts and opens, causing the obstruction in the throat to clear. The flow of air starts again, usually with a loud gasp. When the airflow starts again, you then move back into a deep sleep. Then the process repeats.
The airway muscles collapse, you awaken with a gasp. The airway clears once again and you fall back to sleep. This scenario may occur many times during the night.
The combination of low oxygen levels and disturbed, interrupted sleep is the major contributors to most of the ill effects that the sleep apnea patient suffers.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea causes daytime sleepiness, but many don't realize that there are more serious problems associated with this disorder. Sleep apnea patients are much more likely to suffer from:
- Heart problems (heart attack, congestive heart failure, hypertension)
- Strokes
- A higher incidence of work related and driving related accidents
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Fibromyalgia
- Generalized inflammation
- Bruxing (teeth grinding)
Left untreated, Obstructive Sleep Apnea can shorten the average life span by 10 years.
Dr. Villaroman and Dr. Hayashi can help.
What Can a Dentist Do?
Dr. Villaroman and Dr. Hayashi have advanced training to recognize and diagnose various sleep problems associated with oral misalignment or nose and mouth structure.
During sleep, the throat area relaxes, allowing these structures to collapse against one another and obstruct clear airflow.
Dr. Villaroman and Dr. Hayashi can prescribe and fit a special custom made oral appliance to gently and safely hold the mouth and throat in an open position during relaxed sleep and thus prevents snoring.
Dr. Villaroman and Dr. Hayashi utilizes many different appliances, including:
- SomnoDent MAS™
- TheraSnore®
- TAP Appliances
- Full Breath Solution
All have been found to be highly effective in most cases in stopping snoring and treating obstructive sleep apnea in the mild to moderate range.
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