What Is the Main Treatment for Sleep Apnea?

Generally, patients will experience sleep apnea when they are sleeping on their back. During their sleep, the throat muscles relax, and the lower jaw of the patient falls backward. This ends up closing off the airway and causes trouble breathing. While for most people the muscles are strong enough to avoid this happening, for others this isn’t the case.

The brain of a sleep apnea sufferer will realize breathing has stopped and will send messages to the body to cough. Over time, the drops in oxygen levels can lead to long-term cell damage.

How Do I Know If I Have Sleep Apnea?

There are a few things you’ll want to look out for to see if you have sleep apnea. One of the most common is loud snoring. Beyond that, there is irritability, lethargy, fatigue, depression, headaches, and more. If you are experiencing any of these issues, reach out to a specialist so they can diagnose the issue.

ASV

ASV stands for Adaptive Servo-Ventilation. This is an airflow device that utilizes a computer to better understand your sleeping patterns. When you have trouble breathing, the device uses pressure to normalize your breathing.

Surgery

If other treatments have failed, you may need surgery to address your sleep apnea. This is a last case scenario and is avoided whenever possible. Some of the surgical options to repair the issue may include jaw repositioning, tissue removal, implants, tissue shrinkage, and other options.

Ultimately, the best choice is between you and your doctor/dentist.

Take Our Sleep Survey!

If you believe you are suffering from sleep apnea, reach out to Smiles in Shelby to take our sleep survey!

The Epworth Survey is a short list of questions asking you about how likely it is for you to fall asleep or doze off during certain times throughout your day. It’s an excellent way to find out easily if you should speak with your dentist about sleep issues and possibly order a lab or at-home sleep test.

For a no-charge sleep appliance consultation, reach out to our office today. We will check to see if an oral appliance is the best choice to resolve your sleep apnea issues.

Oral Surgery

If your teeth or jawbone have been damaged, you may need oral surgery. Smiles in Shelby offers extractions and jawbone grafting. We also offer surgical extraction for those with emerging wisdom teeth. If you need additional bone tissue for a dental implant, we can provide you with the jawbone grafting services you need.

Orthodontics

Whether you are looking for Six Month Smiles or traditional braces, Smiles in Shelby is here to help. We provide excellent orthodontics services that will straighten your teeth, eliminate crowding issues, and more.

Others

Along with the excellent services above, we provide a variety of other oral healthcare services. These include laser dentistry, dental implants, sedation dentistry, pediatric dentistry, and more. If you have any questions about the dental services we provide and whether we can help you with your oral health issue, reach out to the team at Smiles in Shelby. We will provide you with more information about the services we offer.

Reach Out Today!

If you have the symptoms of sleep apnea or you would like any other dental service, reach out to Smiles in Shelby today. We’d be happy to help you with your dentistry needs!