Typically, when you think dentist, you think teeth. But treating teeth is only a small part of what dentists do. After all, teeth only make up one part of your oral health, along with your gums, jaws and bite.
It’s this working knowledge of your oral health, that allows certain dentists to provide relief for snoring and sleep apnoea. Dental Pearls also provides sleep apnoea and snoring treatment for children and adults.
Treating Snoring and Sleep Apnoea
Snoring doesn’t always mean you have sleep apnoea; however, it can be the first sign of sleep apnoea. At Dental Pearls, we can offer different types of treatments depending on the severity of your snoring.
To best determine the most suitable treatment, you need to undergo a sleep study. This study will let your sleep physician and your Dental Pearls’ dentist determine the optimal treatment plan for you.
By working with other health professionals, we can ensure the treatment options we provide obtain the necessary results. For example, we like to work or consult with your GP because medication can have a big impact on airway and muscle contraction and relaxation.
If you’re on muscle relaxation medication, they may not be good if you have sleep apnoea because they make your muscles laxer. Which can exacerbate your sleep apnoea.
There are two main ways of treating sleep apnoea:
- Mandibular advancement splints
- CPAP
Dental appliances to treat snoring and sleep apnoea
If you have mild to moderate sleep apnoea, then our team may recommend custom-made mandibular advancement splint.
This splint looks like a mouthguard that you wear while you sleep and adjusts the position of your jaw to prevent the airway from closing.
If you have more severe sleep apnoea, also known as obstructive sleep apnoea, a splint usually won’t work.
What you’ll need is a CPAP machine; CPAP stands for continuous positive airway pressure. This machine uses a nosepiece or mask and hose to deliver steady and constant air pressure.
The increase in air pressure is meant to prevent your airway from collapsing while you breathe in. An advantage of this is it should either minimise or completely stop your snoring.
The CPAP machine is still considered the best non-surgical treatment option for obstructive sleep apnoea. Other advantages of the CPAP machine are:
- It can lower blood pressure
- It can reduce heart problems (for those with a heart disease)
- Reduce daytime sleepiness
How the Dental Pearls team can help with snoring and sleep apnoea
Working with your GP and sleep specialist, the team at Dental Pearls will work closely with you to ensure you receive the most appropriate treatment.
If you would like to know more about treatment for snoring and sleep apnoea, or to request a consultation, please contact us today.
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