Do you have difficulty getting a restful sleep? Do you wake up tired? Do you, or someone you know, snore throughout the night? If so, it is possible that you could be suffering with Obstructive Sleep Apnea, a serious condition in which a person stops breathing during their sleep. Some of the signs of Sleep Apnea include:
- Suddenly waking up in the middle of the night gasping for air
- Difficulty waking up
- Lack of concentration during the day
- Poor job performance
- Feeling tired throughout the day.
Sleep Apnea increases your risks of high blood pressure, strokes, and more. It is a very serious condition that continues to rise as we get older and heavier. Traditionally, people with Sleep Apnea were treated with a CPAP, a machine that forces air into your lungs while you sleep, and/or surgery. Although the CPAP is a great machine, most our patients find it difficult to wear throughout the entire night; therefore, they are not receiving the benefits of the machine and continue to put themselves at risk for more serious conditions.
For years, dentists have made appliances to help their patients who snore. Then an interesting thing happened, studies revealed that the dental appliance was helpful for treating Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Our snoring/Sleep Apnea device is a mouthpiece that holds your lower jaw slightly forward and open. By doing this, the mouthpiece opens your airway and allows you to breathe on your own! There are no tubes around your head, or machines that are loud and forcing air into your nose.
Although we change people’s lives daily through cosmetic dentistry, I am the most proud of this service we provide, because it really changes the quality of life for a person!