Snoring and Sleep Apnea Treatment

Berks County, Reading and Wyomissing, Pennsylvania

Snoring and sleep apnea problems can have a root cause in dental issues. Sound unbelievable? Unfortunately it's true. But, Dr. Schwartz of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania can help you. At his Family and Cosmetic Dentistry practice, the doctor and his Team focus their efforts on helping their dental guests with any number of common and rare problems.

Causes of Snoring and Sleep Apnea
Your snoring and sleep apnea problems may stem from the position your jaw rests in when you are asleep. The majority of your throat is soft tissue, which when you are awake can maintain its position, but during sleep relaxes and may even collapse. The position your mandible (lower jaw) is in directly affects your airway by either holding it open for air to move freely, or allowing it to collapse, leading to snoring and breathing difficulties during your sleeping hours. Snoring is vibration caused by the passage of air through a constricted airway and may be associated with a partial or complete collapse of the airway.

Obstructive sleep apnea is when your airway moves beyond being constricted and actually collapses, leading to what are called apneic episodes, or moments of halted breathing. In order to regain breath, the body must come to a state of partial wakefulness. In persons with clinical sleep apnea, this occurs at least five times an hour, leading to a dramatic reduction in sleep. The main effect is not so much the amount of sleep in total lost, but the effect of these waking episodes on the amount of time spent in deeper levels of sleep, such as REM sleep.

The most common first line treatment for sleep apnea is constant positive airway pressure (CPAP), but many people find that CPAP is not a good fit for them. The noise of the machine, the discomfort of the mask, the maintenance necessary, all lead people to not use their CPAP machines.

Fortunately, orthotics have been developed that a sleep apnea sufferers can place in the mouth and wear comfortably throughout the night in order to prevent snoring and sleep apnea from occurring. These devices are said to be effective in approximately 87 out of 100 cases.

Those are some great odds when you think about the fact that you are not the only one who loses sleep due to this condition. The development of dental devices that allow you to prevent snoring and sleep apnea from occurring make choosing between allowing your partner to get a decent night's sleep or being banned to the spare bedroom for the night a much easier and livable decision for all involved.

How to Obtain a Snoring and Sleep Apnea Treatment Appliance
You will need to schedule an exam with Dr. Schwartz. During this first session, Dr. Schwartz will determine whether or not you are a good candidate for the device. Some reasons you may not be a good candidate include:

Preexisting TMD issues
The use of removable dental prostheses
If you have broken down teeth
If you have multiple missing teeth
If you have loose teeth

Please note that any of these situations is completely treatable and should not exclude you from being able to benefit from the snoring and sleep apnea device. Dr. Schwartz is highly skilled and experienced in treating neuromuscular dentistry issues like TMD. He can also perform restorative dentistry procedures in order to correct any of the other conditions listed.

Then you will undergo a sleep study to determine whether you are a sleep apnea sufferer. This will most likely include one or more overnight stays at a local sleep clinic where you will be monitored with a polysomnogram. This is the only way you can be actually diagnosed with sleep apnea. The degree of your sleep apnea will be determined, which will influence the type of appliance you receive.

You will then be introduced to the bite procedure that is needed to fit the device properly. During the next visit, your device is custom fitted and molded to your mouth. Finally, if necessary, the device may be adjusted to ensure exact fit and comfort. It is designed to last for a few years and you and your loved ones can enjoy an end to your snoring and sleep apnea problems.

To learn more about this new device or any other dental treatments available to you, please contact Dr. David A. Schwartz of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania today.

Phone: 610.670.6910