What is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea occurs when breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. Soft tissues in the throat can collapse, blocking airflow and prompting the brain to wake the body just enough to reopen the airway. These interruptions prevent deep, restorative sleep and reduce oxygen levels, affecting how you feel and function during the day.
There are three types of sleep apnea:
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA): The most common form. Muscles in the throat relax, the airway narrows, and tissues vibrate, causing snoring. In more severe cases, the airway closes completely, and breathing pauses until the brain signals you to wake and breathe again. Obstructive Sleep Apnea disrupts sleep cycles repeatedly, sometimes hundreds of times each night.
- Central Sleep Apnea: The brain fails to send consistent signals to the muscles that control breathing, leading to breathing pauses without airway obstruction.
- Complex Sleep Apnea Syndrome: A combination of obstructive and central sleep apnea.
Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea and obstructive sleep apnea share many symptoms, though OSA often presents with more noticeable snoring and breathing interruptions. These signs can affect both your nights and your days:
- Waking up with a choking sensation or gasping for air
- Loud, persistent snoring
- Insomnia or frequent awakenings
- Excessive daytime fatigue
- Difficulty concentrating or memory issues
- Irritability or mood changes
- Morning headaches
- Dry mouth or sore throat upon waking
- Decreased libido or impotence
- Frequent nighttime bathroom trips
Over time, untreated sleep apnea can increase the risk of serious health concerns:
- High Blood Pressure
- Heart Disease and Heart Attacks
- Stroke
- Diabetes
- Alzheimer's Disease
Daily life can also suffer. Fatigue may affect your work, relationships, and safety behind the wheel. Don't delay – get sleep apnea treatment now. Call (757) 564-8942 to schedule a consultation.
How is Sleep Apnea Diagnosed?
Your provider begins by discussing your symptoms and sleep patterns. A physician or sleep specialist may recommend an overnight sleep study, known as a polysomnogram. The study monitors breathing, oxygen levels, brain activity, and movement while you sleep.
Dental professionals play an important role, especially in identifying and treating obstructive sleep apnea. An in-office evaluation may include airway analysis, digital imaging, bite assessment, and screening tools such as the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. These findings help determine how your jaw and tongue position affect airflow during sleep.
Treatment depends on the severity of your condition and your daily needs. Options may include:
- Lifestyle Changes: Weight management, side sleeping, and avoiding alcohol or sedatives before bed.
- CPAP Therapy: A machine that delivers steady air pressure through a mask to keep the airway open.
- Oral Appliance Therapy: A custom-made device worn at night that gently moves the lower jaw forward to improve airflow.
- Surgical Care: Recommended in cases involving structural concerns.
- Advanced Therapies: Options such as hypoglossal nerve stimulation for select patients.
Many patients find relief with oral appliance therapy, especially when CPAP is difficult to use. Dentists design these appliances to fit your mouth and guide your jaw into a position that keeps your airway open. Ongoing adjustments help improve results and support better sleep over time.
Get a Good Night's Sleep with Sleep Apnea Treatment from Lifetime Family Dental
Better sleep can transform how you move through your day, from steady energy to improved focus and mood. Sleep apnea treatment in Williamsburg, Virginia from Lifetime Family Dental focuses on helping you breathe more easily at night with solutions that fit your life and support lasting health. Diligent treatment for obstructive sleep apnea can reduce snoring, restore deeper sleep, and help you wake up feeling refreshed.
If your nights feel restless and your days feel off, it may be time to find answers. Call (757) 564-8942 now to schedule your visit and start your journey toward restful, uninterrupted sleep.
Sleep Apnea Treatment FAQs
Yes! If you have sleep apnea, your dentist can create a custom oral appliance to help treat it. An oral appliance is similar to a mouth guard in that it protects your teeth from nighttime teeth grinding. It also promotes airflow while sleeping by pushing your jaw and tongue forward so they don't block your airway.
While CPAPs are the standard for severe obstructive sleep apnea, for mild to moderate cases of sleep apnea, an oral appliance can be a more convenient treatment option.
With proper maintenance, oral appliances typically last for around 5 years before requiring replacement.
Yes! For people suffering from mild to moderate sleep apnea, an oral appliance can reduce snoring, improve airflow while you are sleeping, and improve your sleep quality. Some people use a CPAP and an oral appliance simultaneously to increase comfort while using a CPAP.
If you've been diagnosed with sleep apnea that is mild to moderate and don't want to use a CPAP, your dentist can create a custom oral appliance to treat your symptoms. They can also provide follow-up support to make sure your oral appliance is still working optimally for you. Oral appliances come with several types of bands that your dentist can adjust for you until your oral appliance is as comfortable to use as possible.