Improve Your Sleep Apnea with Dental Care

Do you have sleep apnea? Did you know that you can improve your sleep apnea with dental care? At Falcon Dental, we care about the health of your teeth AND the rest of your wellness, too! Our team is dedicated to providing you with the information and the solutions to help you get the best sleep and keep your teeth in the best shape possible. Let’s take a look at what sleep apnea is, what dental problems can result from sleep apnea, and how to improve your sleep apnea with dental care! 

What is Sleep Apnea? 

Did you know that in the United States alone, approximately 22 million people have sleep apnea? Even more astonishing, 80% of these individuals have no idea that they are afflicted with it! Sleep apnea is a term that is commonly used, and you have probably heard it tossed around in conversations often. Familiarity with the term does not necessarily equate to an understanding of it, however. Many times, sleep apnea is an offhand way to refer to excessive snoring, but this is just one symptom of this much more complex disorder. 

Sleep apnea can be deeply disruptive to the quality and quantity of sleep that you get. It is characterized by episodes where you cease to breathe while you are sleeping, and these episodes can happen up to 30 times per hour! When you stop breathing, your oxygen levels drop, and your CO2 levels skyrocket, raising your blood pressure, and waking you for a brief moment so you can resume breathing normally. 

Most of the time, those who suffer from sleep apnea do not even realize they are waking up multiple times throughout the night. Instead, the more commonly recognized symptoms are consistent jolting awake in the middle of the night, chronic fatigue, difficulty or inability to concentrate, frequent headaches or migraines especially in the mornings, inexplicable mood shifts, and of course, snoring. Sleep apnea can also result in a slew of dental troubles. 

Dental Problems Caused by Sleep Apnea

While the aforementioned symptoms of sleep apnea may not be common knowledge, it typically does not take much convincing for them to be believable. Dental problems that are caused by sleep apnea, however, can be a harder truth to sell. You may not recognize the signs of this sleep disorder in your own mouth, but going to your dentist regularly can help pinpoint if there is a problem that needs to be addressed. 

During dental exams, your dentist will keep an eye out for any signs that point to sleep apnea. These include evidence of teeth grinding or jaw clenching, and redness in your throat from snoring. Your dentist may also note if you have small jawbones, a large tongue and tonsils, or a deviated septum. These may seem like unrelated coincidences, but they are all indicators that you may be dealing with sleep apnea. 

How to Improve Your Sleep Apnea with Dental Care

Once you are diagnosed with this disorder, you may start to look into treatment options. One potential solution is to improve your sleep apnea with dental care. Your dentist can help alleviate the symptoms that you experience and help treat the root of the issue. 

There are a handful of ways that your dentist can help improve your sleep apnea with dental care. While a CPAP machine is often the most recommended course of treatment, there are some individuals who do not tolerate this as well as others. In these circumstances, your dentist can assist you with getting fitted for a Mandibular Advancement Device (MAD) or a Mouth Device. This is essentially a mouth guard that keeps your lower jaw in a comfortable, forward position, allowing your airway to stay open and unobstructed. It is custom-fit for your mouth to ensure that you are comfortable wearing it all night, and some options may even help keep your tongue from blocking your windpipe as well. 

In addition to helping you improve your sleep apnea with dental care, your dentist can help alleviate the symptoms you experience. For instance, sleep apnea is often paired with teeth grinding, which can cause your enamel to wear down or your teeth to chip or break. This can make your mouth even more susceptible to potential damage. Having regular dental care appointments and pursuing the most comfortable sleep apnea treatment for you can improve your quality of life. 

Sleep Apnea Treatment at Falcon Dental

Improve your sleep apnea with dental care provided by our outstanding and experienced team of professionals. Falcon Dental Care is your sleep apnea treatment headquarters. Whether you have definitively been diagnosed with sleep apnea, or you think you may be suffering from it due to symptoms you have noticed, you may have found yourself searching for “sleep apnea treatment near me.” If that’s the case, get in touch with our friendly and helpful team at Falcon Dental Care today!