Sleep Apnea Treatment St. John

Sleep Apnea Treatment St. John

Are you having trouble sleeping? Do you wake up with headaches or suffer from fatigue? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be struggling with something called sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition where your breathing stops and starts while you sleep. It is a common issue that affects many people and happens for a few different reasons. Obstructive sleep apnea is when the muscles of your throat and tongue relax while you sleep and end up constricting your airways. The lack of air briefly wakes you up. Central sleep apnea is less common and is when your brain fails to signal your muscles to breathe. With this form, many people awaken and feel short of breath. The last type of sleep apnea is complex sleep apnea syndrome. This is when you suffer from a combination of central sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea. Although sleep apnea is common, it can cause a variety of troublesome health issues, including long-term health problems as well as acute concerns. While it may come as surprising, your dentist can help diagnose and treat your sleep apnea. Learn more about this condition below and how a Distinctive Dental professional can provide sleep apnea treatment in St. John.

Signs of Sleep Apnea

Some of the signs you may be suffering from sleep apnea include frequent nighttime wakings, snoring, gasping for air, waking with a dry mouth, morning headaches, and daily fatigue. If you notice any of these symptoms, it’s important to speak with a professional about your concerns, as sleep apnea can cause long-term health issues and significantly decrease your quality of life. Aside from these symptoms, there are some specific things your dentist will look out for to help diagnose sleep apnea. These signs include things like worn teeth (a sign of grinding), receding gums, a spike in cavities, redness in the throat (caused by snoring), small jaw, and scalloped tongue. 

Treatment Options

One of the most common treatment options for sleep apnea is what’s called a CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) machine. These machines work by providing constant and steady air pressure while you sleep. This air pressure is delivered through a hose and mask you wear all night, every night. While these machines work well, they can often be very cumbersome and difficult to adjust to. Your trained dentist can provide other options called Oral Appliance Therapies that are a great alternative. These methods often include specially made mouth guards or oral appliances that reposition the jaw. These options help improve your nighttime breathing and are less intrusive and can completely eliminate issues from moderate sleep apnea, and offer a great improvement to severe cases.

Distinctive Dental Solutions

Distinctive Dental Solutions has trained professionals that are experts in sleep apnea treatments in St. John. If you are suffering from any symptoms of sleep apnea or other sleep issues, come see us today! We can create a treatment plan that works best for your specific needs and will get you the better sleep you need.