Sleep Apnea Treatment
Treatments for Sleep Apnea in Spokane Valley and North Spokane
More than 12 million people in the United States suffer from sleep apnea complications. Some types of sleep apnea can be easily treated with custom-fit mouthpieces from a dentist. If left this condition does not get diagnose properly and remains untreated it can have serious consequences. Some of those include high blood pressure, memory issues, weight gain, impotency, cardiovascular disease, and frequent headaches. Some people can also experience extreme tiredness and can be more susceptible to injury from lack of quality sleep.
There are three main types of sleep apnea:
- Obstructive sleep apnea: This occurs when the soft tissue in the back of the throat collapses and blocks the airways during sleep.
- Central sleep apnea: This happens when the brain stops sending proper signals to the muscles to and causes intermittent breathing.
- Mixed apnea: A combination of both obstructive and central apnea.
People who are at a high risk for sleep apnea can include males, overweight individuals, and people over 40 years of age. Young children can even develop sleep apnea.
We treat sleep apnea with a custom-fit appliance that helps to keep your airways clear during sleep. Many of our patients who had mild to severe cases of sleep apnea have reported plenty of success with their mouthpiece and are enjoying a good night’s sleep. Our treatment method is also effective for those who cannot tolerate a C-PAP machine and for patients who suffer from loud snoring even if they do not have sleep apnea.
How Dentistry Can Help
You might be thinking what does the dentist have to do with all this? Well, snoring or sleep apnea can be treated by the custom made oral appliances we spoke of before. It can re-position the jaw and can move the tongue away from the back of the throat to reduce the potential for obstruction. This treatment is backed by scientific evidence and real life results. It is also a good treatment to test before moving on to more complicated breathing devices or even surgery.
Call us today for more information on sleep apnea and snoring treatment options.
