Sleep apnea may be a potentially serious disorder during which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. There are three types of sleep apnea, the most common type being obstructive sleep apnea, which is where the throat muscles relax, and you snore loudly and stop and start repeatedly and feel tired even after a full night’s sleep.
Then there is central sleep apnea, which occurs when your brain does not send proper signals to the muscles that control your breathing and then the last form of apnea is complex sleep apnea syndrome or also known as treatment-emergent central sleep apnea, and this occurs when someone has both obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea.
Why should You Consider a Mouthguard for Sleep Apnea?
A custom mouthguard is made by the dentist to help reduce snoring and alleviate obstructive sleep apnea and it can be a powerful method of achieving greater sleep health and has been effective in numerous clinical trials. The mouthguard is relatively comfortable and tends to be used more consistently giving a better adherence rate.
The patients report that the mouthguards are fairly comfortable and easy to wear, they are convenient for travel due to the compactness of their size, the mouthguards are less invasive and far quieter than a CPAP machine. The other advantage, of course, is the cost, which is usually a factor for a lot of patients.
If you are curious about a custom mouthguard as a treatment option, we encourage you to call our office for a visit and we can set you up for an appointment with a special sleep dentist who can perform an examination of your oral cavity – which will include your throat, tongue, jaw and teeth, and possibly an x-ray of your airway. This is the first step and we will help you get to the right professional to guide you through the process.
