How Dentists Diagnose And Treat Sleep Apnea

Many dentists are now offering treatment options for sleep apnea, which is a very serious condition. You might not even realize you have this, but there are common symptoms that can help your dentist determine if you might be at risk. If you are diagnosed with this condition, your dentist can help you find relief and reduce your health risks by offering a dental mouth guard.

The Definition of Sleep Apnea

According to the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, over 18 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea. This condition primarily affects people only while they sleep, and it causes a person to stop breathing while sleeping.

This happens because of the tissue found in a person's throat. During sleep, this tissue collapses and causes a person to have trouble breathing. Because this actually prevents the person from breathing, the oxygen that normally travels to the brain is cut off. This causes the heart to beat faster and harder, and it actually makes the person wake up.

If left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to heart disease, a stroke, or a heart attack. It can also lead to high blood pressure and numerous other problems.

Symptoms of Sleep Apnea

A lot of people that have sleep apnea do not realize they have it, but people who sleep with them may see the signs. Some of the common symptoms of sleep apnea are:

• Heavy breathing and snoring while sleeping
• Feeling tired and unrested all the time
• Irritability
• Memory loss
• Sexual problems

If your spouse complains that you snore really loud or gasp for breath while sleeping, there is a chance that you might be suffering from sleep apnea. You should also realize that you have a higher risk of having this if you are overweight and if you smoke. Men also have a higher risk of developing this compared to women.

How It Is Diagnosed

Even if you suffer from all the symptoms of sleep apnea, a dentist cannot diagnose it without a sleep test. If you suspect that you have sleep apnea, you will need to go to a sleep clinic for a sleep study. This will require spending an entire night at the clinic, and you will be attached to a variety of different monitors.

The monitors will record many things, including your:

• Heart rate
• Blood pressure
• Oxygen level in your blood
• Brain waves

This test will reveal if you are waking up during the night, and it is used to explain why you wake up.

The Treatment Plan

There are numerous ways to treat sleep apnea, but one of the most comfortable methods is through a dental oral appliance. This appliance resembles a mouth guard a football player would wear, and it is custom-made to fit inside your mouth. Another common option is the use of a CPAP machine, but this option can be hard to get used to.

An oral appliance generally helps a lot, and this is because it repositions the jaw and tongue. Because of this, you will experience decreased blockage from the tissue in the back of your throat. The appliance holds your mouth in a position that helps you breathe easier, and this is why it brings relief to people suffering from sleep apnea.

After using a dental appliance for just a few days, you may begin to notice a difference in the way you feel. You may feel more rested and less irritable, and you will actually be on your way to becoming a healthier person in general.

If you would like to learn more about this, or if you are ready to get a sleep study test, contact your dentist. He or she will help you find out if you have sleep apnea, and this will be your first step to feeling better. Contact a sleep apnea dentist or doctor for more about this topic.