Has anyone ever told you that you snore at night? And if you do snore at night, do you know what it is caused by?
Snoring is caused by a partial obstruction to the air passage that causes the tissue to vibrate, resulting in a snoring noise. Snoring can be a symptom of sleep apnea, a serious sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep.
Obstructive sleep apnea is a life-threatening and life-shortening disease process caused by obstruction of the airway (such as tongue, soft palate, tonsils and other throat tissues) when a person is asleep. This causes a pyramid of health consequences and is unfortunately very often undiagnosed for many people.
The medical world now looks at dentists to help with alternative therapies to help these people.
When looking at sleep health, you may want to ask yourself a few questions. Do you have acid reflux? Do you have high blood pressure? Are you irritable or moody? Do you feel tired and run down? Do you wake up with frequent headaches? Are you overweight? Do you have a compromised immune system? Are you diabetic?
If your answer is yes to one or more of these questions, you may have a type of sleep disorder.
If you know you deal with sleep issues, another important question is, do you have a CPap but simply refuse to use it or do not like it?
A dental oral appliance may be a better fit for you and replace the CPap.
An oral appliance is a dental device that when properly measured and fabricated, helps a person maintain an open airway when they are sleeping and helps them improve their overall quality of life due to getting a better night’s sleep.
When you are not getting a full night’s sleep or are sleep deprived, it can cause a negative impact on a person’s mood, behavior, concentration, blood sugars and daily performance. If rest is cut short, the body doesn’t have time to complete all of the sleep phases needed for muscle repair, memory consolidation and release of hormones regulating growth and appetite.
After a few questions and getting your airway checked to see where or if it is collapsing, professionals can determine if an at home sleep study would be beneficial for you. The sleep study can determine if a CPap is necessary or if a dental oral appliance would be a good fit. n
Nicole Dean is the Office Manager for Dr. William J. Twohig DDS. Nicole has been working in the dental field for 14 years now, many of which were spent as a chairside assistant. She is certified in CPT and has also trained in cross coding for medical/dental billing,medical law and ethics, healthcare customer service, and health in the human body and disease.
Dr. Twohig practices dentistry in Weyauwega, using a natural and holistic approach. Dr. Twohig and his staff are dedicated to advanced education in traditional and alternative approaches in dentistry. In their office they look at not only dentistry but they incorporate a whole-body approach to the dental treatment and services they provide to their patients. Dr. Twohig works with a large group of natural practitioners, chiropractors, acupuncturists, traditional doctors and specialists in muscle testing, nutrition, homeopathy, tap therapy, aromatherapy, detoxification, and much more.
“When you are not getting a full night’s sleep or are sleep deprived, it can cause a negative impact on a person’s mood, behavior, concentration, blood sugars and daily performance.”
