If you suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea, then you already know how difficult it can be to deal with the realities of sleep apnea day after day. Our O’Fallon sleep apnea dentists are proud to offer the treatments that sleep apnea sufferers need in order to stay well. Today we are going to be giving you an overview of sleep apnea—how it affects the patient’s life, and how we can help people manage this condition.
Sleep Apnea Overview
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when a patient’s relaxed oral tissues block the patient’s airway as he or she sleeps. Basically, sleep apnea makes it difficult for people to get enough oxygen when they are asleep.
Sleep Apnea Symptoms
If you suffer from sleep apnea, you may notice that:
· You are snoring loudly (also, if you sleep partner is suffering from sleep apnea, you might notice that they are snoring so loudly that they are waking you up!)
· You are waking up suddenly in the night, choking or gasping for air
· You are suffering from chronic headaches
· You have dry mouth
· You are dealing with daytime fatigue, concentration issues, or memory problems
Sleep Apnea Solutions
Our dental team provides simple to use oral appliances in order to help patients overcome sleep apnea issues. Essentially, the patient wears this mouthpiece at night, and the oral appliance helps the patient’s oral tissues to stay in healthy positions, so that the patient can breathe in enough oxygen.
Our dental team has found that these innovative mouthpieces have much higher compliance rates than traditional CPAP machines. These are comfortable, convenient, and very effective!
If you are noticing any of the symptoms of sleep apnea in your own life, please reach out to our O’Fallon dentists for help. We can help you through the entire process!