Do you or does anyone in your family snore? Do you find it interrupts your sleep? Are you waking up more tired than you were before you went to bed? Snoring and sleep apnea can cost you a night's sleep, and, over time, can cause long term health and personal problems caused by chronic sleep deprivation.
Did you know that both conditions can be treated by your dentist? Perla Dental provides counselling and treatment for snoring, sleep apnea and other sleep disorders.
Snoring
Snoring is caused when air can't move freely through your airway, which causes the tissue around your throat and nose to vibrate loudly. It can be caused by an obstruction in your airway or nasal passage, your age, sleep posture, or being overweight.
Depending on what's causing you to snore, there are dental treatments that can reduce or eliminate snoring. Perla Dental offers sleep counselling, dental appliances such as bite guards to reposition your jaw, or orthodontic therapies to help you stop snoring and bring you relief.
Sleep Apnea
The most common cause of sleep apnea is when the muscles at the back of your throat relax when you are asleep, causing your airway to narrow or close completely. This can result in you being unable to take a breath. As a result you wake up briefly and start breathing, often with no memory of waking up. Sleep apnea sufferers can wake up 5 to 30 times an hour, which severely disrupts your sleep. Left untreated, sleep apnea can have serious effects on your quality of life and your health.
If you or your loved ones suspect you suffer from sleep apnea, we can help. We can diagnose apnea with an examination in our office, and provide you with treatment. Sleep apnea is usually treated with a CPAP device and mask that you wear while you are asleep. The severity of apnea can also be reduced by making positive lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, losing weight or reducing stress. In some cases, surgery or other medical treatments can help.
Sleep deprivation caused by snoring or sleep apnea can leave you exhausted during the day, and can impact your enjoyment of a normal life. If you or your loved ones think you snore or you suffer from sleep apnea, give us a call today.