More and more people are coming to our O’Fallon sleep apnea dentists in order to find relief from this damaging condition. We know that sleep apnea can severely affect every aspect of your life; that is why we work so hard to provide effective and user-friendly solutions for chronic sleep apnea.
When you first develop sleep apnea, you may start to notice a number of inconvenient changes to your sense of health and wellbeing. For example, you could become prone to suffering from headaches, especially in the morning and before falling asleep. Because sleep apnea interrupts your healthy sleep cycle, you may also find that you’re battling fatigue and concentration problems throughout the day. One of the most telling symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea is persistent and loud snoring—your snoring may be so loud that it disturbs your sleep and wakes others.
The thing about sleep apnea is that it rarely resolves itself autonomously, and without treatment, this condition can intensify and lead to more serious health complications. Sleep apnea causes your blood oxygen levels to drop precipitously in the night. Long-term, untreated sleep apnea may increase your risk of suffering from a host of whole-body health issues. Obstructive sleep apnea is often associated, for example, with diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Chronic sleep apnea also increases the patient’s risk of suffering from high blood pressure, heart disease, and liver problems.
Traditional CPAP machines are effective for many patients, but not all. Our sleep apnea team provides treatment alternatives to cumbersome CPAP machinery. Custom-fit mouthpieces, for example, can move the patient’s lower jaw into healthy position and keep the airway clear as he or she sleeps. Our O’Fallon sleep apnea dentists have found that many patients prefer these mouthpieces, and that they generally have higher rates of patient compliance.
Don’t leave sleep apnea untreated! Our dental team is here to help—give us a call to learn more about treatment options and to schedule a consultation.