Can a Dentist Help With Sleep Apnea?

If you have difficulty sleeping, it could be due to a medical condition known as sleep apnea. There are different types of sleep apnea, but the most common is a condition known as obstructive sleep apnea. This condition occurs because the airway becomes blocked while a person rests, leading to a lack of oxygen while asleep. This causes the person to awaken repeatedly throughout the night, gasping for air. This causes the person to be unable to get restful sleep and can have a range of side effects.

It may be surprising to learn that getting help with this condition from your dentist in phoenix, AZ is possible. A dentist can treat obstructive sleep apnea, and it is possible to avoid invasive surgery or bulky sleep devices that make it hard for many patients to sleep with a machine strapped to their faces.

How Does a Dentist Help With Sleep Apnea?

The secret to relieving symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea is by making sure that the airway remains open while a person is in a resting position. Your dentist can help with this thanks to dental appliances that open the airway.

The dentist will first examine you to see if you are fit for a dental appliance that can help with your sleep apnea. From there, the dentist will take an impression of your mouth and create for you a custom-fitted mouthguard. Unlike typical sports or night guards, this mouth guard protects from teeth grinding or injury. Instead, it is designed to pull the jaw forward and take pressure off the airway while a person is sleeping. Realigning the position of the jaw and the throat while asleep can improve the airway and stop some of the symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea.

Most patients prefer this treatment method over sleep apnea machines or oral surgery because it is highly effective but not nearly as invasive or expensive.