Sleep Apnea
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Chester Family Dentistry
General Dentists & Family Dentists located in Warren, OH
Sleep apnea is a medical condition that has loud snoring as the most common symptom, and people can go for years thinking it is "only snoring". However, this is a serious health concern because untreated sleep apnea leads to other health problems including high blood pressure, weight gain, heart attack, and stroke. At Chester Family Dentistry, we can help alleviate your sleep apnea with a comfortable, customized oral appliance. This is especially helpful for the C-PAP intolerant patients. If you live in or around Trumbull County, call the office in Warren, Ohio, or schedule an appointment online for a free consultation and to learn about sleep apnea treatment."
Sleep Apnea Q & A
What is sleep apnea?
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when you stop breathing while you sleep. These apnea moments may last a few seconds or several minutes before your oxygen levels drop low enough to alert your brain, which wakes you enough to start breathing. You can stop breathing 30 times or more an hour if your apnea is severe.
What causes sleep apnea?
Muscles relax when you sleep, which allows the tongue and other soft tissues in your mouth to fall toward the airway in the back of your throat. You begin to snore when tissues partially cover the airway, which is why people with sleep apnea are loud snorers. When the airway is totally blocked, you stop breathing.
It’s important to treat sleep apnea because the changes that occur in your body when you regularly stop breathing increase your risk for health problems such as:
- High blood pressure
- Irregular heartbeat
- Heart attack
- Obesity
- Type 2 diabetes
- Stroke
How do you know if you have sleep apnea?
One problem with sleep apnea is that most people don’t know they have it. Even though you come out of deep sleep to take a breath, you don’t regain full consciousness, so you’re not aware of the problem. In other words, take it seriously when someone else comments or jokes about your loud snoring.
Please call Chester Family Dentistry to schedule a free consultation about sleep apnea if you’re a loud snorer, or you have these other common symptoms:
- Wake up with a headache
- Waking during the night to urinate
- Dry mouth or sore throat when you wake
- Memory problems or unable to concentrate
- Feel irritable or depressed
How do dentists treat sleep apnea?
It’s important to know that you have an effective dental solution to sleep apnea because many people can’t tolerate the commonly prescribed medical device called continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).
Our office can treat your obstructive sleep apnea and your snoring with a custom-fitted oral appliance that’s worn like a mouth guard or an orthodontic retainer. These appliances are adjustable plastic mouthpieces that keep your airway open by gently moving the lower jaw forward and downward.
Oral appliance therapy has the advantage of being:
- Comfortable
- Quiet
- Easy to wear
- Easy to care for
- Portable
