Sleep Apnea: How It Comes About & What A Dentist Can Do To Treat It

Living with a sleep disorder can be difficult to cope with because it can lead to you being moody and unproductive at work. If this is the case, you may have a health condition that is known as sleep apnea. This can be treated by a dentist after getting diagnosed by a sleep disorder specialist.

Below, learn how sleep apnea comes about and what a dentist can do to help you get more sleep at night.

How Does Sleep Apnea Come About?

Sleep apnea happens from an insufficient amount of air flowing through your lungs when you are asleep. Your lungs do not receive enough air because of the condition, which makes it hard to breathe. Sleep apnea causes an irregular breathing pattern because there are multiple pauses that can last for several seconds at a time when you are inhaling and exhaling.

The abrupt pauses in your breathing pattern are the main reason you are losing sleep because they bring you out of a deep sleep. Because it is difficult to fall back into a deep sleep, you end up tossing and turning throughout the night from feeling restless. Another symptom of sleep apnea is how loud it can cause you to snore. The loud storing is the result of air trying to push through your blocked airways.

How Can a Dentist Help with Getting More Sleep at Night?

Before a dentist will treat you, a sleep specialist will have to conduct a test called a polysomnogram to verify that you are suffering from sleep apnea. The test can be conducted at a sleep disorder center or in the comfort of your own home. You will be hooked to equipment that will help the sleep specialist monitor your breathing, amount of oxygen in your blood and electrical signals from your brain and muscles.

Upon getting diagnosed, a dentist will be able to create a mouthpiece that is designed to help you breathe easier at night. The mouthpiece is completely safe because it will be customized to fit inside of your mouth comfortably. The purpose of the mouthpiece is to reposition your jaws and tongue to help air flow through the airways without force.

Getting a sufficient amount of sleep at night is the key to feeling less moody at work. You will also find that sleep can help you work in a more productive manner each day. Visit a sleep disorder company such as Billings Clinic and start resting peacefully again.


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