Sleep Apnea Treatment
Millions of people around the world suffer from poor sleep and disruptive snoring, with no idea why. New mattresses and breathing strips don’t help. Neither do sleep diets or better exercise.
If this description applies to you, it’s possible that you are suffering from a sleep disorder called Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Sleep apnea can dramatically affect your ability to properly function in your everyday life.
Visit our dentist in Billings, MT, to learn how to improve the quality of your sleep, stop snoring and have more energy throughout the day!
Common Symptoms of Sleep Apnea
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Insomnia
- Nightmares
- Sleep deprivation
- Severe snoring
- Dry mouth
- Dry throat
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Irritability
- Mood swings
- Inexplicable weight gain
Read on to find out more about how sleep apnea can affect you, and what sleep apnea treatments are available to you.
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Obstructive Sleep Apnea occurs when the soft tissues in the back of your throat relax at night. In fact, they often relax a little too much. These collapsed tissues block the air passages, which keeps the air from reaching the lungs.
Our brain won’t let us suffocate. It has to force our airways open and does this by waking us up for a brief moment. We usually don’t even remember this happening, but it’s enough to restart breathing again. Unfortunately, it is also enough to disturb sleep cycles. We wake up in the morning thinking that we’ve had a full night’s sleep and wondering why we’re so tired anyway.
Sleep Apnea Treatment Options
There are many ways to treat sleep apnea. Some popular options are minor surgery or the usage of a CPAP machine. Both are extremely effective, but there is a simpler solution: The oral appliance.
Sleep apnea oral appliances come in many specific styles and designs, but all of them function in essentially the same way: a mouthguard is custom-fitted to your teeth and adjusted to keep your lower jaw from collapsing backward when you sleep. This helps you stop snoring and lets you breathe easy.
This minor adjustment keeps the tongue forward and the soft tissues from collapsing. With one simple appliance, heavy snoring can be dramatically reduced and sleep interruptions dropped significantly.
The brand of guard we often use is the Herbst Oral Appliance, which is characterized by the adjustable Herbst connector on either side. It can be precisely moved back and forth in order to give you a fit that specifically works for you.
Don’t Hesitate to Call
You deserve a proper night’s sleep and undisturbed rest. If you suffer from any of the apnea symptoms listed above, call us right away. We want to get you the treatment you need as soon as possible.
