Are you having trouble getting through a full night’s sleep? Do you have problems with snoring? Are you waking up tired after an entire night’s sleep? You might be experiencing sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder we treat in Longview, TX, that can raise your risk for other health concerns, including stroke and heart attack.
If you have severe sleep apnea, your breathing will repeatedly stop and start while you are asleep. Treating sleep apnea is part of our restorative dentistry treatments in Longview, TX. When we treat problems like sleep apnea, it can renew your comfort and make your daily life
What is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a condition where your breathing stops and starts while you’re asleep. The most common type is called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA occurs when the muscles in your throat relax, causing your airway to contract. This can make it hard to breathe and can wake you up many times during the night.
Signs of Sleep Apnea
Sleep problems can impact your daily life and comfort. The most common symptoms include:
- Snoring: While snoring does not always indicate sleep apnea, it is a common sign. Sleep apnea causes snoring because of the way it blocks your airway. When you have sleep apnea, the muscles in your throat relax too much while you sleep. This relaxation can cause the tissues in your throat to collapse or sag, partially blocking your airway. As air tries to pass through this narrowed space, it causes the tissues to vibrate, which creates the snoring sound.
- Feeling Tired: Even after a full night of sleep, you might feel very tired or sleepy during the day. When you have sleep apnea, your breathing stops and starts repeatedly. Each time this happens, your body briefly wakes up to start breathing again, even if you don’t fully realize it. This constant interruption prevents you from getting deep, restful sleep.
- Morning Headaches: Waking up with headaches is another sign. When your airway gets blocked during sleep, your body has to work harder to get enough oxygen. This can lead to a drop in oxygen levels and increased carbon dioxide levels in your blood. The resulting changes can cause blood vessels in your head to expand, leading to headaches.
How Sleep Apnea Impacts Everyday Life
Sleep apnea can have a big impact on your daily life and health. When you have sleep apnea, your breathing stops and starts many times while you sleep. This means you don’t get a good night’s rest, which can make you feel tired during the day.
Because of this constant tiredness, you might find it hard to concentrate at school or work. You may feel sleepy while driving or doing other tasks. Not getting enough quality sleep can also make you more irritable or moody.
Over time, sleep apnea can lead to more serious health problems. It can increase your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke. Sleep apnea can also make diabetes harder to manage and affect your overall energy levels. Treating sleep apnea is important to improve your sleep, boost your energy, and protect your long-term health.
Sleep Apnea Treatment in Longview, TX
Our team will start with a sleep exam to test for potential sleep apnea. This will enable our dentist to recognize and pinpoint any risk factors you may have for sleep apnea through a series of screening questions.
We will refer to do a doctor for a sleep test. During a sleep test, you spend the night at a sleep center or at home with special equipment. The test, called a polysomnography, checks how well you sleep and if you have any sleep problems, like sleep apnea.
At a sleep center, you’ll be hooked up to machines with small sensors placed on your head, face, chest, and legs. These sensors measure your brain waves, heart rate, breathing, and movement. The room is set up to be comfortable, and you’ll sleep as you normally would while the equipment records your sleep patterns.
If you do the test at home, you’ll use a smaller, simpler device that tracks your breathing and heart rate. You’ll wear this device while you sleep, and it will send the information to your doctor.
The results help your doctor understand if you have sleep issues and decide on the best treatment to help you sleep better.
You will also be required to have a CT scan done. This scan will provide an image of your airway and mouth so our dentist can quickly pinpoint any blockages in your airflow. Then, our Longview dentist will then develop a treatment plan specific to your needs.
Sleep Apnea Oral Appliances
Our team wants you to get the whole night’s sleep you deserve! A fitted oral appliance is the most common and effective solution for mild to moderate sleep apnea. This custom appliance will restore airflow while you sleep, keeping your throat from collapsing and helping you get through the night without waking up.
An oral appliance for sleep apnea is a special device you wear in your mouth while you sleep. It looks similar to a sports mouthguard or retainer. This appliance works by gently moving your lower jaw forward, which helps keep your airway open. By keeping your airway clear, it helps you breathe properly and reduces or stops the pauses in breathing that happen with sleep apnea.
The appliance is custom-made by a dentist to fit your mouth comfortably. It’s an effective option for people with mild to moderate sleep apnea, especially if they can’t use a CPAP machine. Using an oral appliance can help you sleep better and feel more rested.
In our office, we will take dental impressions for your appliance. We send these impressions to a lab, which will create the custom sleep splint from durable materials. Once your appliance is complete, you will return to our office for a fitting.
Treat Sleep Apnea Today
Call Longview Family Dental at 903-662-7811 or schedule an appointment online. Sleep apnea dentistry shows excellent results, and we proudly offer it to Longview, TX.
We also serve the surrounding communities, such as Hallsville, Lakeport, Easton, Lake Cherokee, Danville, Tatum, Stewart, and Kilgore. Our office also serves Laird Hill, Liberty City, White Oak, Warren City, Glade Water, Shiloh, Union Grove, East Mountain, and Judson.