How a Complete Health Dentist Treats Sleep Apnea Las Vegas, NV
A complete health dentist can investigate the root causes of airway problems and address any oral issues at play. By managing sleep apnea in such a comprehensive manner, a complete health dentist can help you prevent systemic complications. If you suspect you need treatment for sleep apnea, consider seeing a complete health dentist.
Some dentists are myopically focused on teeth and their surrounding structures. However, complete health dentists are concerned with the mouth and its relationship to the entire body, making complete health dentists qualified to practice sleep dentistry. For more information about treating sleep apnea, our team at Hybrid Dental in Las Vegas is here to help. Call us at (702) 628-5807 to learn more.
Sleep Apnea and Airway Dentistry
Airway dentistry is an emerging branch of dentistry that focuses on a patient's oral structure and how it affects breathing. Airway dentists search for signs of sleep-disordered breathing by searching for any abnormal oral development, such as tongue position, tooth wear, and extra tissues in the back of the throat. This form of dentistry can help diagnose and treat patients with upper airway resistance syndrome and various types of sleep apnea, especially obstructive sleep apnea.
Both upper airway resistance syndrome and obtrusive sleep apnea involve the relaxation of the throat's soft tissue. This reduces the size of the airway, resulting in disturbed sleep and daytime impairment. Though airway obstruction symptoms depend on its exact cause, typical signs involve agitation, confusion, cyanosis (bluish-colored skin), difficulty breathing, gasping for air, panic, high-pitched breathing noises, and unconsciousness. Most sleep-disordered breathing is caused by resistance in the airway.
“Most sleep-disordered breathing is caused by resistance in the airway.”
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder that occurs when the upper airway narrows or collapses while sleeping, resulting in decreased or halted airflow. A person with sleep apnea may experience frequent pauses in their breathing while asleep, which can cause many characteristic signs and symptoms. There is more than one type of sleep apnea. However, the most common type is known as obstructive sleep apnea or OSA.
According to the American Sleep Association (ASA), more than 25 million Americans suffer from OSA. Signs of OSA can include an enlarged neck or tongue or malalignment of other structures of the mouth. Symptoms of OSA can include loud snoring, frequent awakening, excessive sleepiness, dry mouth or sore throat when awakening in the morning, chest pain when awakening in the morning, headaches in the morning, irritability, sleep difficulties, and high blood pressure.
Children with OSA may also show impaired growth, inattention or hyperactivity, or signs of malnutrition or failure to thrive. Sleep apnea is diagnosed using a combination of a thorough medical history, physical exam, and a test called a sleep study (polysomnography).
“Symptoms of OSA can include loud snoring, frequent awakening, excessive sleepiness, dry mouth or sore throat when awakening in the morning, chest pain when awakening in the morning, headaches in the morning, irritability, sleep difficulties, and high blood pressure.”
Treating Sleep Apnea
There are several treatment options available for sleep apnea, including oral appliances. To use oral appliances, patients must first have impressions taken of their teeth and return for a fitting at a later appointment. Depending on their situation, some patients may need to undergo another sleep test while wearing the device to ensure that it is in working order. Since these devices do not require any electricity, they are relatively unobtrusive and travel-friendly. However, they may require further office visits for any necessary adjustments.
Patients who require more advanced treatment may want to consider continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) machines or surgery. As these treatments are more involved, they may require a referral to a sleep specialist. No matter how serious the case, Hybrid Dental can help patients determine the right treatment for them.
“There are several treatment options available for sleep apnea, including oral appliances.”
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How Sleep Issues Impact the Rest of the Body
When someone cannot get quality sleep, it can have profound effects on their general health. For this reason, sleep dentistry is a crucial field that has a wide-ranging impact on the rest of the body. People who suffer from sleep apnea can experience many downstream health effects, such as coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, heart attack, visual difficulties, and psychiatric disorders. In fact, the American Sleep Association (ASA) reports that people with sleep apnea have a 30 percent higher chance of having a heart attack or dying of a heart-related disease compared to those without sleep apnea.
“People who suffer from sleep apnea can experience many downstream health effects, such as coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, heart attack, visual difficulties, and psychiatric disorders.”
Questions Answered on This Page
Q. How can I treat sleep apnea?
Q. How is sleep apnea diagnosed?
Q. What are the overall health consequences of sleep apnea?
People Also Ask
Q. What services are offered by a general dentist?
Q. Is sleep apnea a sleeping disorder?
Q. What are some conditions that a complete health dentist can diagnose?
Ideal Candidates for Airway Dentistry
Virtually anybody can benefit from airway dentistry. If left untreated, airway-involved sleep disorders can have disastrous effects on a person's oral health, feelings of restfulness, and overall well-being. An airway dentist can help look for signs of such disorders and, in mild to moderate cases of sleep apnea, help treat them with recommendations for lifestyle changes, oral devices, and referrals to specialists when necessary.
Sleep apnea can affect patients of any age, including children. Furthermore, of all pediatric physicians, dentists are most likely to identify the abnormal tonsil growth that often causes obstructive sleep apnea. Accordingly, regular dental checkups can help catch and treat children's sleep apnea before it has the chance to become problematic. As obstructive sleep apnea often comes with significant developmental concerns, early detection is critical.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How common is sleep apnea?
A. According to the American Sleep Apnea Association, sleep apnea affects over 20 million Americans. They also approximate that as much as 80% of moderate to severe cases of obtrusive sleep apnea are undiagnosed.
Q. Can sleep apnea be cured?
A. Unfortunately, as of yet, there is no known cure for sleep apnea. However, Hybrid Dental can help you minimize and manage its symptoms so that you can live a more comfortable life.
Q. Is snoring always a sign of sleep apnea?
A. No. Snoring is very common and can occur in anyone. However, if your snoring is severe enough to wake you from your sleep, it may be a sign of sleep apnea. Snoring associated with sleep apnea is generally louder, deeper, and more consistent than "normal" snoring. Those with sleep apnea may also experience choking, gasps, or pauses in between snores.
Q. Are there any risk factors associated with sleep apnea?
A. Approximately half of those affected by sleep apnea are overweight. Sleep apnea is more common in men than in women and in older persons than in younger persons. However, children with enlarged tonsils are also at risk.
Q. Is sleep apnea hereditary?
A. At least one study has found that snoring runs in families. Though snoring is not a cause of sleep apnea, it is one of its key symptoms. Additionally, individuals may inherit narrow airways or be genetically predisposed to have excess tissues in the airway. As such, there is a hereditary component to sleep apnea.
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Dental Terminology
Call Us Today
For many patients, airway dentistry is just what they need to put their sleep apnea issues to rest. We at Hybrid Dental may be able to help. Call us today at 702-628-5807 to schedule an appointment or to learn more about our services.
Helpful Related Links
- American Dental Association (ADA). Glossary of Dental Clinical Terms. 2024
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