Most people think of the dentist as the doctor who keeps your teeth healthy and who repairs broken or cracked teeth. You might also think of your gum health, and maybe braces,…but we’d be willing to bet you don’t think of snoring and healthy sleep when you visit the dentist. Perhaps you should.
Sleep Apnea Affects Your Overall Health
When you have sleep apnea, your airway closes while you’re sleeping. The inability to inhale air causes your nervous system to send signals to your body to wake up. Most of the time, you don’t wake up all the way, but just enough to interrupt your sleep cycle.
Without a good night’s rest, including deep sleep and REM cycles, you are significantly more likely to develop high blood pressure, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Additionally, you are more likely to gain and keep weight and to have car accidents due to falling asleep at the wheel.
How Oral Appliances Can Help
You’ve probably heard that the way to treat sleep apnea, after your sleep study, is to wear a CPAP at night, while you sleep. Many people, unfortunately, find that the mask associated with that treatment is uncomfortable.
Depending on how severe your sleep apnea is, your Seacrest Dental family can help by custom fitting you for an oral sleep device. This appliance is like a cross between a mouthguard and a retainer. It fits over your teeth, and positions your jaw forward just enough that your airway will not fully collapse.
When you’re ready to sleep better, call Seacrest Dental on the Emerald Coast. We can answer your questions about sleep appliances and schedule you for a consultation!
Posted on Behalf of Seacrest Dental
