If you or a loved one is grappling with sleep apnea, you understand the toll it can take on daily life—from fatigue to more severe health issues, it can limit your ability to live life to the fullest. At Lake Forest Smiles, we want you to know that there are effective, comfortable solutions to help you and your family enjoy restful nights and vibrant days.
There are two main types of sleep apnea:
Central Sleep Apnea: A less common type, where the brain fails to send the proper signals to the muscles that control breathing.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): The most common type, occurring when the muscles in the throat relax excessively during sleep, leading to a temporary blockage of the airway.
The Dangers of Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition where the tongue and soft palate collapse into the throat during sleep, disrupting airflow and causing a series of apneic episodes.
These interruptions in breathing can happen without your awareness, leading to fragmented sleep and low oxygen levels. The consequences can be severe, contributing to chronic fatigue, cardiovascular issues, and a host of other health concerns.
Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
Recognizing the symptoms of OSA is crucial. If you or a family member experiences any of the following, it’s time to consider a sleep apnea screening:
- Chronic fatigue
- Morning headaches
- Dry mouth
- Chronic irritability
- Snoring
- Depression
- Difficulties with memory and concentration
- Unexplained weight gain
- Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Our dentists offer comprehensive screenings and airway evaluations to assess the risk of sleep-disordered breathing, and our team can work with your sleep specialist to determine the best course of action.
How Does Sleep Apnea Affect My Oral Health?
Untreated sleep apnea can have several negative impacts on your oral health. Some of the potential dental complications include:
- Dry Mouth: People with sleep apnea often breathe through their mouths while sleeping, leading to dry mouth, which increases the risk of tooth decay, gum disease, and bad breath.
- Teeth Grinding (Bruxism): Many sleep apnea sufferers grind or clench their teeth during sleep, which can wear down the enamel, cause jaw pain, and lead to temporomandibular joining (TMJ) disorders.
- Gum Disease: Chronic mouth breathing and dry mouth can cause gum irritation and increase the risk of gum disease, leading to swollen or bleeding gums.
- Increase Risk of Tooth Decay: A dry mouth environment allows harmful bacteria to thrive, increasing the likelihood of cavities and dental infections.
The Role of Your Dentist in Treating Sleep Apnea
While sleep apnea is typically diagnosed by a sleep specialist, your dentist plays an important role in identifying potential symptoms and offering treatment solutions. If you’re experiencing symptoms like chronic snoring, dry mouth, or waking up frequently during the night, a dentist can evaluate your condition and help you determine the best course of action.
Sleep Apnea Treatments at Lake Forest Smiles
When it comes to treatment, the options are as diverse as the families we serve. Lifestyle adjustments, weight management, and exercise can contribute to overall sleep quality, but in many cases, more tailored approaches are necessary.
Oral Appliance Therapy
Oral Appliance Therapy involves the use of specially designed devices worn in the mouth, similar to orthodontic retainers or sports mouthguards. They have many benefits:
Custom-Designed for Individual Needs
Oral appliances are custom-designed to fit the unique contours of your mouth, ensuring a comfortable fit during sleep.
Maintains Open Airway
The primary function of these appliances is to maintain an open and unobstructed airway, reducing the risk of snoring and sleep apnea.
Variety of FDA-Approved Options
With approximately 40 oral appliances FDA-approved for the treatment of snoring and sleep apnea, patients have a wide range of options.
Expert Selection and Fitting
Our dentists have extensive training in oral appliance therapy, allowing them to expertly select, design, and fit the appliance that best meets your specific needs.
MicrO2™ Sleep Apnea Appliances
Designed with your comfort in mind, MicrO2 provides an effective solution for snoring and sleep apnea, offering a range of benefits that set it apart from other devices.
- Comfortable Design: It is rapidly gaining popularity as a comfortable alternative for individuals suffering from sleep apnea, thanks to its user-friendly design.
- Ease of Use: This appliance combines the standard benefits of oral appliances, such as comfort and ease of use, with specific features designed for opening your airway without restricting jaw movement.
- Contoured Edges: The contoured edges are specifically designed to avoid irritation, ensuring a more comfortable fit throughout the night.
- Lower Profile: Its lower profile enhances jaw muscle comfort, significantly reducing the strain often associated with other sleep apnea devices.
- Increased Tongue Room: The appliance offers more space for the tongue, contributing to the overall comfort and fit of the device.
- Effective Airway Management: By holding your lower jaw forward, the lightweight appliance effectively opens your airway, offering a refreshing sleep without being too rough.
Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome
Symptoms of UARS
Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome symptoms are similar to those of OSA but are generally less severe. Unlike sleep apnea, UARS doesn’t typically involve significant pauses or decreases in breathing.
Causes of UARS
UARS arises due to various factors including loose or relaxed fatty tissue in the throat that collapses, narrowed airways, and the tongue falling back and obstructing the throat. These factors make breathing more challenging during sleep, leading to disrupted sleep patterns.
Diagnosis
If you exhibit UARS symptoms, a polysomnogram (sleep study) is typically conducted. During this test, various parameters are monitored, including brain waves, blood oxygen levels, heart rate, and eye/leg movements. This helps assess the extent of sleep disruption and aids in determining the appropriate treatment plan.
Treatment
One common treatment to manage UARS is Positive Airway Pressure (PAP) therapy, which involves wearing a special Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) mask while sleeping, and the machine gently blows air into your upper airway to keep it open and allowing regular breathing.
Oral appliances can also serve as effective treatments for UARS. These devices, worn during sleep, can prevent soft tissue collapse in the airway, serving as alternatives to PAP devices. Our experienced team at Lake Forest Smiles can guide you through the process of selecting the most suitable treatment option for your specific needs, ensuring a restful night’s sleep and improved overall health.
Why Address Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that can disrupt your sleep, affect your overall health, and even put you at risk for serious conditions like heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Treating sleep apnea not only improves your quality of life but also protects your health as well!
Here are a few reasons why seeking treatment is essential:
- Better Oral Health: Treating sleep apnea reduces the likelihood of developing dental problems such as gum disease, tooth decay, and tooth wear due to grinding.
- Improved Sleep Quality: With proper treatment, you can achieve deeper, more restorative sleep, which enhances your overall health and happiness.
- Reduced Risk of Health Complications: Managing sleep apnea lowers your risk of serious health conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, and stroke.
Why Choose Lake Forest Smiles for Sleep Apnea Treatment
At Lake Forest Smiles, we understand that sleep apnea is not just a sleep disorder– it’s a condition that can impact your overall health, well-being, and quality of life. Whether you’ve already been diagnosed with sleep apnea or suspect you may have it, we are here to offer personalized, effective, and compassionate care to help you sleep better and live healthier!
At Lake Forest Smiles, we provide:
- Expert care from a trusted dental team
- Comprehensive sleep apnea evaluations
- Custom-fitted oral appliances for sleep apnea
- Collaborative care with sleep specialists
- Comfort and convenience
- Non-invasive, effective treatment options
- Ongoing support and follow-up
At Lake Forest Smiles, we are dedicated to helping you achieve a restful night’s sleep, so you can wake up feeling your best every day!
We also offer airway dentistry that can help address the cause of sleep apnea. Our airway dentistry utilizes orthodontic therapy, TENs machines, and myofunctional stretches to help you breathe properly.
Lifestyle Changes to Help Manage Sleep Apnea
While medical treatments like CPAP therapy and oral appliances are effective, making positive lifestyle changes can also help reduce the severity of sleep apnea and improve your quality of life.
At Lake Forest Smiles, we are committed to helping you manage sleep apnea not just with dental solutions but also by guiding you toward healthier habits that can support your treatment. Below are some lifestyle changes that may help you sleep better and breathe easier at night:
- Get Regular Exercise: Regular physical activity can help reduce the severity of sleep apnea symptoms by improving muscle tone, reducing inflammation, and promoting weight loss. Exercise also supports overall health, making it easier for your body to manage sleep apnea and other health conditions.
- Maintain a Healthy Weight: One of the most effective lifestyle changes you can make to manage sleep apnea is losing weight, particularly if you are overweight or obese. Excess weight, especially around the neck area, can increase the likelihood of airway obstruction while you sleep, making it harder to breathe.
- Avoid Alcohol and Sedatives: Alcohol, sedatives and certain medications can relax the muscles in your throat, making your airway more likely to collapse while you sleep. This can worsen the symptoms of sleep apnea, including snoring and apnea.
- Sleep on Your Side, Not Your Back: For many people with sleep apnea, sleeping on their back can cause the tongue and soft tissues in the throat to collapse, leading to airway obstruction. Sleeping on your side can help reduce the frequency of apneas and snoring.
- Manage Allergies or Nasal Congestion: Chronic nasal congestion or allergies can worsen sleep apnea symptoms by making it more difficult to breathe through your nose during sleep. This can lead to mouth breathing, dry mouth, and increased risk of airway collapse.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sleep Apnea
The diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea can cause patients to have a lot of questions. Here are some frequently asked questions about sleep apnea:
Dentists play a key role in diagnosing and managing sleep apnea. At your dental visit, we will evaluate potential signs of sleep apnea, such as worn-down teeth, a large tongue, or a crowded airway.
Depending on the diagnosis, our dentists may provide a custom-fitted oral appliance that repositions the lower jaw to keep the airway open during sleep.
An oral appliance is a small, custom-made device worn in the mouth during sleep. It works by repositioning the lower jaw and tongue to prevent the airway from collapsing. These devices are often effective for people with mild to moderate obstructive sleep apnea and are especially helpful for those who cannot tolerate CPAP therapy.
For individuals with mild to moderate sleep apnea, an oral appliance can be an excellent alternative to CPAP therapy. Unlike CPAP, which uses a mask and host to deliver continuous air pressure to keep the airway open, an oral appliance is non-invasive, portable, and more comfortable for some people.
Oral appliances are designed to be comfortable and easy to wear. Your dentist will create a custom-fitted device based on your mouth’s structure. While there may be an initial adjustment period as you get used to wearing it, many people find that they are able to sleep more comfortably and soundly after a few nights. Our dental team will also monitor your progress to ensure that the device is working effectively and that you’re not experiencing discomfort.
If sleep apnea goes untreated, it can lead to a variety of health problems, including:
- Chronic fatigue and daytime sleepiness
- Increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and hypertension
- Memory and concentration problems
- Mood disorders, including anxiety and depression
- Increased risk of diabetes
Treating sleep apnea can improve your quality of life, reduce your risk of these conditions, and help protect your oral health.
Yes, children can also suffer from sleep apnea, though it’s often underdiagnosed. Common symptoms in children include:
- Snoring
- Mouth breathing
- Difficulty focusing in school
- Poor growth or development
- Bedwetting
Don’t Ignore the Snore! Contact Us for Sleep Apnea Treatment
If you think you may have sleep apnea, contact our trained dentists at our Lake Forest office today. Your physical and mental health will thank you for it.