Sleep Apnea Treatment – Henrico, VA

What is Sleep Apnea?

Having sleep apnea means that your breathing repeatedly stops and restarts while you’re asleep. Each pause can force your brain to wake your body up in order to resume breathing. These awakenings are very brief, so you may not even remember them; however, they still pull you out of the sleep cycle, thereby severely hindering your ability to get quality rest.

The most common type of sleep apnea is known as obstructive sleep apnea, which is the result of the airway becoming partially or completely blocked. This is often the result of soft tissues in the throat collapsing, thus narrowing the airway.

The Dangers of Sleep Apnea 

Sleep apnea can leave you feeling excessively tired during the day. Consequently, you may be more likely to get into an accident while driving. On top of that, you may have a harder time focusing or remembering things, which could have a negative impact on the quality of your work.

On top of that, sleep apnea is closely linked to a number of potentially dangerous health issues. In particular, people with untreated sleep apnea tend to be at a higher risk for cardiovascular problems, including heart attacks and strokes.

Sleep Apnea Assessment

If you think that you may be suffering from sleep apnea, visiting your dentist for a sleep apnea assessment may be beneficial. Dentists may see patients more often than primary care physicians, and they are already screening for other health conditions during your regular dental visit. Performing a sleep apnea screening will not add much time to your routine visit, and our dentist can help determine whether you require specific treatment.

When our dentist conducts a sleep apnea assessment, he may utilize one or more of the following:

• A patient questionnaire to determine whether you suffer from common side effects such as snoring and daytime drowsiness.
• A take-home, overnight pulse oximeter to measure your blood oxygen levels while sleeping.
• An evaluation of your oral cavity that checks for problems related to sleep apnea, such as acid erosion on the teeth, teeth grinding or clenching, evidence of breathing through your mouth, and occlusions.

Sleep Apnea Treatment Options  

In many cases, an oral appliance can be an excellent way to treat sleep apnea. Your oral appliance will be customized for your unique mouth so that it fits comfortably on your teeth. When you wear the appliance, it will move your lower jaw slightly forward. This helps open up your airway, making it less likely that your breathing will be interrupted throughout the night.