A good night’s sleep is crucial for your health. Without sleep, you can have trouble making it through the day. When you suffer from sleep apnea, you suffer from a lack of oxygen during the night and it can be dangerous. At Nickles Dental Oral Surgery and Family Dentistry, we provide effective dental treatments to eliminate sleep apnea and snoring.
Symptoms
The signs of sleep apnea can be subtle or obvious. If someone sleeps with you, they may notice the symptoms before you do. Any of the following can happen:
- Loud snoring
- Gasping for air
- Interrupted nighttime sleep
- Extreme daytime sleepiness
- Pauses in breathing
- Shortness of breath as you wake up
- Dry mouth after waking up
- Sore throat in the morning
- Chest pain when you awaken
- Morning headaches
- Difficulty concentrating while awake
- Excessive mood changes
- Insomnia
- High blood pressure
Cause and Risk Factors
Obstructive sleep apnea happens because your airway collapses when you fall asleep. Of course, this doesn’t happen to everyone. You are more likely to have sleep apnea if you:
- Are a male
- Are a menopausal or post-menopausal woman
- Are overweight or obese
- Have a large neck
- Have a narrow airway
- Have high blood pressure
- Have nasal congestion often
- Have diabetes
- Are between ages 18 and 60
- Have a family history for the condition
- Drink alcohol
- Smoke
Why Treatment Is Crucial
Treatment for sleep apnea can improve your health or even save your life. When we treat you for sleep apnea, It can also allow your partner to sleep better. You can reduce or avoid your risk for conditions such as:
- High blood pressure
- Stroke
- Heart disease
- Erectile dysfunction
- Acid reflux
- Diabetes
How We Can Help
Dr. Nickles and his team can fit you with a custom nightguard to hold your airway open as you sleep. This dental appliance can replace the old bulky CPAP machine, giving you the freedom to travel.
Fitting the Night Guard
We make an impression of your mouth to ensure the night guard fits you properly. The impression is sent to our lab, and the night guard is fabricated to your specifications. When you come in to get the night guard, we check it again for fit and makes any minor adjustments necessary.
Doing Your Part
Getting a night guard is a good first step toward treating your obstructive sleep apnea. For it to work, you have to wear it. Insert the night guard whenever you get ready to sleep. You also need to keep the night guard clean and store it in its case when you are not using it. We will give you instructions for proper cleaning and care.
Sleep Well
We want you to sleep better than you have in a long time and be well-rested so you can live the best life possible. Talk to our team about sleep apnea now, and soon you will be sleeping well and waking rested and ready to take on the day.
