Hillcrest Dental is here to provide you with comprehensive care and effective solutions to improve your sleep quality and overall health.
Your Solution for Sleep Apnea and Snoring
At Hillcrest Dental, we understand the importance of a good night's sleep in maintaining overall health and well-being. Our commitment to providing over-the-top excellent customer service extends to helping you achieve quality sleep and a restful night. If you struggle with snoring or sleep apnea, book your visit today.
Your Partner in Sleep Health
We take pride in building personal relationships with our patients and are known for our compassionate approach to dental care. If you're struggling with sleep apnea or related issues, you can trust our award-winning team to go above and beyond to ensure you get the rest you need.
Understanding Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder that causes pauses in breathing during sleep. These interruptions in your breathing can make it challenging to stay asleep and attain the restorative rest necessary for your overall health.
How to Diagnose Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea can go undiagnosed for years, with patients often unaware of the condition. The symptoms typically result from disrupted sleep patterns and reduced oxygen levels due to these interrupted breaths.
If you're experiencing any of the following signs, it's essential to discuss them with your dentist:
- Frequent Loud Snoring: Loud and consistent snoring is one of the hallmark signs of sleep apnea.
- Disrupted or Labored Breathing During Sleep: Pauses in breathing or gasping for air during sleep are common symptoms.
- Waking Up Choking or Gasping: Episodes of choking or gasping for air during sleep can be distressing.
- Frequent Morning Headaches: Sleep apnea can lead to morning headaches due to the decreased oxygen supply.
- Exhaustion: Persistent fatigue and exhaustion, even after a full night's sleep, may indicate sleep apnea.
- Mood Swings: Irritability, mood swings, and emotional instability can result from sleep deprivation.
- Limited Attention Span: Difficulty focusing and maintaining attention during the day is a common symptom.
- Difficulty Thinking Clearly: Cognitive impairment and brain fog are frequently reported.
How Sleep Apnea Affects Your Sleep
Sleep apnea is a widespread sleep disorder, affecting 2%-9% of all adults in the United States. It can occur in both children and adults, although it is more commonly diagnosed in men than in women. The primary cause of sleep apnea is a blocked airway at the back of the throat during sleep.
This blockage occurs when the muscles in the throat relax excessively, causing an obstruction. The result is the temporary pauses in breathing that characterize sleep apnea. These interruptions disrupt your sleep cycle, preventing you from achieving the deep, restful sleep you need for optimal health and wellness.
Comfortable Sleep Oral Appliances
At Hillcrest Dental, we offer effective solutions for snoring and sleep apnea using comfortable oral appliances. These custom-designed mouthpieces are created to hold your jaws or tongue in a specific position, comfortably opening your airway. By preventing airway blockage, these devices enable you to sleep soundly throughout the night without interruptions.
In some cases, your dentist may also prescribe certain medications to alleviate daytime sleepiness associated with sleep apnea.
Frequently Asked Questions:
If you are experiencing symptoms of sleep apnea, it is advisable to seek treatment promptly. Early intervention can help prevent potential health complications associated with untreated sleep apnea.
Yes, sleep apnea oral appliances are designed for comfort and ease of use. They are custom-fitted to your mouth and are generally well-tolerated by patients.
Yes, weight loss can be an effective way to reduce the severity of sleep apnea, particularly in cases where excess weight is a contributing factor.
Yes, children can have sleep apnea. It is more common in adults, but pediatric sleep apnea exists and should be addressed by a healthcare professional.
While snoring can be a symptom of sleep apnea, not everyone who snores has sleep apnea. However, persistent and loud snoring should be evaluated by a healthcare professional.
Sleep apnea is typically diagnosed through a sleep study, also known as polysomnography. During this study, your sleep patterns, breathing, and other vital signs are monitored to determine if you have sleep apnea.
Treatment options for sleep apnea may include lifestyle changes, oral appliances, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, surgery, and positional therapy. The choice of treatment depends on the severity of the condition and individual patient needs.
Yes, sleep apnea is a serious condition that can have long-term health consequences. Untreated sleep apnea is linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other health issues.