Sleep Apnea
Stratford, CT
Have you been told that you snore? Do you wake up in the middle of the night, sputtering and choking and feeling like you can’t breathe? Are you waking up in the morning feeling unrested and are you struggling with daytime fatigue? If any of these symptoms sound like you, then you may be struggling with a fairly common condition known as sleep apnea. Nearly 22 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, with up to 80 percent of these people having a more moderate to severe degree of this condition. At Brush & Floss Dental Center we thoroughly understand sleep apnea and, if we discover that you have it, can help you treat this dangerous condition by fitting you with an oral appliance to help improve your quality of life and reduce your symptoms.
What is Sleep Apnea and How Would Oral Appliance Therapy Benefit Me?
Sleep apnea is extremely common and is recognized as a condition that causes the person who is struggling with it to stop breathing at night when they sleep. It occurs when airflow is either greatly reduced or completely stopped, making the individual choke and suffocate as they sleep. It can be caused by a variety of underlying conditions, including enlarged tonsils, smoking, obesity, and upper respiratory infection. Sleep apnea, if left untreated, can be deadly.
There are three main varieties of devices that you can use to treat your sleep apnea. These include Mandibular Advancement Devices (MADs), Tongue Realigning Mouthpieces (TRM), and Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machines (CPAP). Of these three, CPAP has the lowest compliance rates, because many people find that they are loud and cumbersome and sometimes may make the feeling of suffocation and choking seem worse. It’s also difficult to keep the machine clean, which also results in lower compliance rates.
MADs are great for people who have a milder form of sleep apnea. They work by fitting a mouthguard directly over your top and bottom teeth. They push your tongue and bottom teeth forward slightly, helping to realign their position and improve airflow into your mouth and lungs. This can improve your breathing and, therefore, your quality of sleep. They are often adjustable, giving us a chance to custom fit them to your mouth.
TRMs are also highly beneficial for people with less severe forms of sleep apnea. These work by improving airflow and breathing in a manner that is similar to the MAD. It uses a mouthpiece, but instead of using upper and lower guards, they instead have a section that goes around your tongue, and they use suction to pull your tongue forward. This helps prevent your tongue from falling back toward your throat and closing off your airways. For our patients who cannot use a MAD or realign their jaw, this is a fantastic alternative.
At Brush & Floss Dental Center we do not recommend using over the counter (OTC) oral appliances for your sleep apnea, and instead strongly advise that you give us a call here at (203) 683-5253 to not only get properly fitted with an oral device but also ensure that you are accurately diagnosed and treated for this condition to make sure you get the prompt and effective relief you deserve from your sleep apnea.
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