Sleep medicine is a medical specialty focusing on evaluating, diagnosing, and treating sleep disturbances and disorders like sleep apnea. Although they are very common, sleep disorders are often undiagnosed and undertreated.

At Essence of Dentistry, our main goal is to improve not only the dental health of our patients but also their overall quality of life. Because sleep is critical to overall health, we provide advanced solutions for the treatment of sleep apnea to help patients improve their quality of sleep, get much-needed rest, and regain the energy to tackle any task they set their minds to.

What Is Sleep Apnea?

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes recurring interruptions in breathing during sleep. These interruptions can last for up to 60 seconds and occur multiple times throughout the night. The main cause of sleep apnea is the airway becoming blocked.

Sleep apnea is categorized into three types - central, obstructive, and complex

Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea is the most commonly diagnosed form of the disease, and it is caused by a physical obstruction of the airway blocking the flow of air into your lungs. In most cases, the soft tissue in the back of the throat relaxing and closing the airway is the main cause of the blockage.

Central Sleep Apnea

Central sleep apnea occurs when the brain fails to send the proper signals to the muscles that control breathing. The brain may simply not send the signal to breathe or be sending a signal to inhale when no breath is needed.

Complex Sleep Apnea

Complex sleep apnea combines the causes of central and obstructive sleep apnea and occurs when both conditions are in tandem. Other forms of the disease include sleep-related hypoventilation syndrome and snoring.

What Complications Can Sleep Apnea Cause?

When air is not properly passing through the airway, the brain is not getting enough oxygen. This can interfere with important physical processes. In addition, frequent interruptions in breathing during sleep lead to waking up several times a night or trouble staying asleep throughout the night. This can impact an individual’s daily life and cause them to wake up feeling groggy, feel tired throughout the day, or be unable to focus or complete basic tasks.

Chronic sleep deprivation can cause significant mental and physical health issues and increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.

If you are struggling with the following issues, you should consider scheduling a consultation with a sleep specialist:

• Excessive snoring
• Waking up gasping for air during the night
• Frequent headaches
• Excessive daytime fatigue
• Dry mouth/throat

Sleep Apnea Treatment

There are various treatment options for sleep apnea, ranging from lifestyle changes and oral appliances to CPAP machines and surgery. Treatment plans are customized based on sleep study results, patient preference, and lifestyle.

At Essence of Dentistry, we offer oral appliance therapy for obstructive sleep apnea, which is a less invasive and more convenient treatment option than CPAP machines. This therapy involves using a customized mouthguard to properly align your jaw while you sleep. The mouthguard works by holding the tongue or jaw in a forward position to prevent airway obstruction.

Oral appliances for sleep apnea can also help eliminate snoring caused by obstructed breathing. At Essence of Dentistry, we use the most advanced technology to design custom oral appliances that are comfortable, durable, and efficient to help patients regain their quality of sleep and life.