Does the topic of your snoring come up as a joke? While it may seem funny, in many cases snoring can be a serious matter. In addition to disrupting your partner’s sleep, habitual snoring can be a serious health condition known as sleep apnea. At Star Care Dental in Glen Mills, PA, we offer patients with a comfortable, effective way to manage sleep apnea so you can protect your sleep and your health.

What is sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea is temporary pauses in breathing during sleep. Individuals with sleep apnea will experiences these episodes up to hundreds of times per night. Without treatment, sleep apnea can cause serious health complications that may even lead to early death.

Is my snoring caused by sleep apnea?

While almost everyone with sleep apnea snores, not everyone who snores have sleep apnea. Sinus problems, seasonal allergies, obesity, and drinking alcohol can all cause snoring. To determine if your snoring is caused by sleep apnea, a sleep study is typically needed. Once an accurate diagnosis is made, treatment options can be explored.

Treatment options for sleep apnea

If you have previously visited with a doctor about your sleep apnea, they may have recommended continuous positive airway pressure therapy, or CPAP for short. CPAP treatment involves the use of a machine to blow air through the mask which increases air pressure to maintain the narrowing of the airway. While effective, many patients find CPAP machines to be uncomfortable and loud, which often leads to discontinuation of treatment.

Instead of CPAP treatment, at Star Care Dental, we offer dental appliance therapy. This alternative has many benefits including:

• Comfortable
• Small to make travel easy
• Quiet
• Effective
• Affordable

Sleep Apnea

Sleep Apnea

Video Transcript

Do you snore excessively? Do you suffer from daytime fatigue? Do you awake during the night with shortness of breath? You may suffer from the life-threatening sleep disorder known as sleep apnea. About 1 in every 15 Americans suffer from sleep apnea and it is a problem that many don’t even realize they might have. But what does this have to do with dentistry? Because sleep apnea is caused by an airway obstruction, the disorder can be treated through the mouth. The Thorton adjustable positioner, or Tap appliance is one of the more popular ways to treat sleep apnea. When the jawbone yes lax, the tongue and soft tissue obstruct the airway. The tap appliance advances the jaw bone, allowing the air to flow freely and making sleep more restful throughout the night. If you think you might suffer from sleep apnea, talk to your dentist today about possible treatment options.

How it works

The first step is having impressions taken of the teeth to serve as models for your custom-made dental appliance that is like a sports mouthguard. When worn while you sleep, the device keeps the lower jaw in a slightly forward position to prevent the soft tissue from blocking our airway.

Get a good night’s sleep again with sleep apnea treatment from your Glen Mills, PA dentist

If you are ready to feel rested, it’s time to get comfortable, effective treatment for your sleep apnea. Call Star Care Dental today at (610) 569-0509 for more information. We proudly serve the areas of Glen Mills, Aston, Chester and Chadds Ford.