People can sometimes feel embarrassed by their sleep apnea, because it can cause them to snore loudly at night. Snoring is certainly a frustrating problem, but you should know that if sleep apnea is a concern there are other health issues that may affect you. Obstructive sleep apnea causes a person to snore by partially blocking their breathing passages at night, leading to loud, lumbering breathing sounds. The issue can also lead to full airway blockages that force a person awake so that they can breathe again. Those interruptions interfere with your sleep cycle, and that can lead to problems typically linked to chronic sleep loss. At our Ankeny, IA dentist’s office, we can talk with patients about taking on sleep apnea with a custom oral appliance.
How Is Sleep Apnea Really Affecting You?
When you take notice of the many issues that sleep apnea can cause, it can become hard to ignore the matter. By interrupting your rest cycle, sleep apnea can rob you of many health benefits that we are supposed to receive from a full night’s sleep. You can feel groggy and unfocused during the day, and you may be at risk for falling asleep unexpectedly. The problem can also start to affect your blood pressure, and may intrude on your ability to manage other health issues!
Wearing Your Dental Sleep Appliance
Your dentist is here to take on more than just problems with tooth decay! If you are showing signs of sleep apnea, we can make plans to create a dental sleep appliance for you. This appliance gently holds your jaw in a position that stops airway blockages from occurring. As a result, you can rest easily – you can be free of embarrassing snoring, and you can also avoid the health difficulties linked to sleep apnea.
We Can Also Help You Manage Nighttime Teeth Grinding Problems
Sleep apnea is not the only nighttime issue that your dentist is ready to help you manage. If you are grinding your teeth while you sleep, you can start to experience chronic pain in your jaw, and develop dental damage that calls for cosmetic dental work. This problem, known as bruxism, can even lead to damages that call for the placement of dental crowns on teeth. With a custom appliance, you can sleep peacefully while your teeth are gently kept apart.
Talk To Your Ankeny, IA Dentist About Sleep Apnea
At our Ankeny, IA dentist’s office, patients who are affected by sleep apnea can come to our practice for treatment with a custom dental sleep appliance. This can help you rest without snoring, and it can put a stop to potential health issues that sleep apnea can cause. To find out more, or to learn more about the many services our practice provides to Ankeny residents, call Dental Impressions today at (515) 965-0230.
