Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by obstructions in the airway, such as the tongue rolling back in the throat or collapsed tissues in the airway. Untreated sleep apnea can contribute to several serious health conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke and can be life threatening.

If you suffer from the symptoms of sleep apnea, we recommend that you talk to our dentist as well as your physician. If you have already been diagnosed with sleep apnea and are unable or unwilling to use the CPAP that you have been prescribed, we will work with your physician to provide an alternative. If you have not been previously diagnosed with sleep apnea, we can provide a sleep test that you use at home. Since sleep apnea can only be diagnosed by a sleep physician, we work with sleep physicians that will read your home sleep test result and can diagnose if you have sleep apnea or another sleep disorder. Common signs of sleep apnea include:

• Extreme drowsiness during the day
• Personality changes and irritability
• Difficulty staying asleep
• Snoring
• Waking up with a very dry or sore throat
• Frequent morning headaches

Our treatment depends on the severity and type of the sleep breathing disorder, which may range from Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS), to Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), which is classified from mild to severe. Our dentist uses advanced oral appliances that can improve or eliminate most forms of airway and breathing disorders. The appliances resemble an orthodontic retainer that fits over your teeth and triggers stem cells that are found in the bone and around the teeth. These stem cells follow their natural blueprint to develop and grow the bony structures of your airway that are most often the underlying cause of airway, sleep and breathing problems. For more information on sleep apnea and sleep disorder breathing and their treatments, we welcome you to call or visit our dental practice today. We are committed to helping you improve your health!