What Is Sleep Apnea?

While sleep apnea is something we can treat at Smart Dental Care, it’s not a dental condition. Instead, it’s a sometimes serious sleep disorder where your breathing starts and stops multiple times throughout the night.

There are three main types of sleep apnea, but the most common is called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). This type occurs when the throat muscles relax during sleep, blocking airflow into the lungs. As the muscles relax, your airway will narrow and close, making it so you can’t get enough air. This also lowers the oxygen levels in the blood.

When your brain senses that you aren’t breathing correctly, it wakes you up briefly, but this happens so quickly that you don’t remember it. With OSA, this process repeats throughout the night, up to 30 times each hour, making it extremely difficult to reach deeper phases of sleep.

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

The best way to answer this question is to set up an appointment at Smart Dental Care, but overall, sleep apnea does have common signs and symptoms to look out for. Understanding these signs and symptoms helps your awareness. If you experience more than one of the following, you may be experiencing sleep apnea.

If you suspect you could have sleep apnea, be on the lookout for these signs:

• Waking up tired, even after a full night’s sleep.
• Loud snoring
• Waking up abruptly in the night, especially when accompanied by gasping or coughing
• A regular sore throat or dry mouth, particularly after waking up
• Difficulty staying awake and focused even after sleeping for several hours

Any of these symptoms can be disruptive on their own, so even if you aren’t experiencing the full list of symptoms, it’s a good idea to talk to your dentist. With even one of these symptoms, you may wake up feeling unrested or stressed. And, if you are waking up gasping, it could mean you’re at risk of serious complications from sleep apnea.

Luckily, relief might be easier than you expect! Set up an appointment at our Holladay office, and we can begin the process of diagnosing and treating your sleep apnea.

What Causes Sleep Apnea?

While sleep apnea can technically impact anyone, there are some factors that increase your risk of developing this condition. Some underlying causes and risk factors of obstructive sleep apnea include:

• Alcohol use: Using alcohol, sedatives, or other substances can relax your throat muscles and cause OSA.
• Family history: If other people in your family have sleep apnea, it’s more likely that you will develop it, too.
• Excess weight: If you gain weight, it could increase the odds of developing sleep apnea. This is because fat around the upper airway can obstruct your breath.
• Gender: Men are actually two to three times more likely to have sleep apnea, although women who have gone through menopause also have a high risk.
• Age: Sleep apnea is much more common in older adults, so as you age, it’s important to be even more aware of the signs.
• Narrow airway: Some people are just born with a more narrow airway than others. If you have enlarged tonsils or adenoids, this can also contribute to sleep apnea.
• Nasal congestion: Allergies or sinus problems can make it harder for you to breathe through your nose and are another potential cause of sleep apnea.
• Some medical conditions: Certain medical conditions, such as high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, can also increase the risk of OSA.

While there are many potential risk factors that can lead to sleep apnea, treatments that offer relief are relatively the same. Our dental team can diagnose your sleep apnea and discuss the best treatment option for you.

Benefits of Treating Sleep Apnea

There are many advantages to treating your sleep apnea. If you get treatment, you’ll be able to get more rest and enjoy your life more. Having more energy in and of itself is a huge benefit, but that’s not the only pro of treating your sleep apnea.

Some of the specific benefits of receiving sleep apnea treatment at Smart Dental Care include:

• More restful sleep: One of the biggest and most obvious advantages of sleep apnea treatment is that you’ll get better sleep. Without so many interruptions to your quality of sleep, you’ll wake up feeling much more rested, which can positively impact your life.
• Reduced risk of stroke and heart issues: Some studies have shown that sleep disturbances can increase the risk of hypertension and stroke. With better sleep, you can have a healthier lifestyle overall.
• Increased diabetes management: If you have type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea could have a link to higher blood sugars. If you aren’t diabetic, sleep apnea could increase your risk of developing insulin resistance.
• Reduced risk of depression: Sleep has a big impact on your mental and emotional health. If you’re not getting enough rest, it can make you feel more depressed and anxious. Treating sleep apnea can help with your mental health.
• More energy for your life: Generally speaking, treating sleep apnea can give you more energy to live and enjoy your life. With increased energy, you can perform better at home, work, and more.

With so many great reasons to treat sleep apnea, there’s no reason not to make an appointment at Smart Dental Care. Give us a call today to set up an appointment at a time that works for you!

Sleep Apnea Treatment?

When you think of treating sleep apnea, you may imagine a CPAP machine or a continuous positive airway pressure. This treatment can be a great option for many people., but it’s not the only choice.

CPAP machines can be clunky to use and difficult to adjust to, but there is an excellent alternative that we provide at Smart Dental Care. We provide custom snore guards that can restore your sleep without the troubles of a CPAP machine.

Snore Guards for Sleep Apnea

In general, the best way to treat sleep apnea is to gently reshape an individual’s airway to make breathing easier. At our office, we offer snore guards, which do exactly that!

With a snore guard, your airway will be unobstructed while you sleep, which can drastically reduce instances of breathing difficulties throughout the night. Not only will you get more sleep and feel better, but if you share a space with others, they will also appreciate it.

While CPAP machines are a good option for some people, snore guards are often more comfortable and less cumbersome to deal with. These snore guards are custom-made for you, so you can get a better night’s sleep and reduce the negative health outcomes of sleep apnea.

If you believe you or a loved one might be suffering from sleep apnea, contact us today! We can help you get a restful night’s sleep again.