Sleep Apnea

As part of our commitment to providing the best overall oral health care, we have gained expertise in some of the most recent advances in treating sleep apnea, the disruption of sleep due to brief pauses in breathing. Though sleep apnea is not directly a dental illness, it is related to the mouth and throat and dentists are in a unique position to help with it.

Technically speaking, sleep apnea is a chronic condition that disrupts your sleep 3 or more nights each week. You often move out of deep sleep and into light sleep when your breathing pauses or becomes shallow – which can happen several times an hour. This results in poor sleep quality that, in addition to promoting a variety of health conditions, makes you tired during the day.

Sleep apnea is far more widespread than most people realize. It is about as common as adult diabetes,
affecting over 12 million Americans. However, it often goes unrecognized and untreated because of lack of awareness by both health professionals and the public. Doctors usually can't detect sleep apnea during routine office visits and there are no blood tests for the condition. Most people who have sleep apnea don't know they have it because it only occurs during sleep. A family member and/or bed partner may be the first to notice the signs of sleep apnea.

While this condition may sound innocent enough, its effects can range from hypertension and heart disease to impotence and difficulty handling tasks on the job or at school.

Symptoms of sleep apnea can include:
• Snoring loud enough to disturb the sleep of others or yourself
• Shortness of breath that awakens you from sleep
• Intermittent pauses in your breathing during sleep
• Excessive daytime drowsiness, which may cause you to fall asleep while you're working, watching television or even driving

We have produced a much more detailed article about sleep apnea and its symptoms. Click here to download a copy.

There are several causes for sleep apnea, and many of them can be addressed successfully in our office. The relief from this ailment can be profound with wide-ranging benefits.

If you have reason to think you may be suffering from sleep apnea, we encourage you to schedule a visit so we can explore your situation, and discuss how we can help.