Is sleep apnea preventing you from sleeping at night? Then you may benefit from a custom mouthguard.
But if you’re wondering how something as simple as an oral appliance can help manage sleep apnea, this short blog post breaks it down:
What Is Sleep Apnea?
Sleep apnea is a type of sleep disorder in which a person temporarily stops breathing. These episodes can last anywhere between ten seconds and two minutes, but they usually happen multiple times a night.
Sleep apnea prevents your body from getting enough oxygen. As a result, it’s common to experience the following symptoms:
- Gasping for air during the night
- Loud snoring
- Morning headaches
- Waking up with a dry mouth
- Fatigue
- Daytime sleepiness
- Irritability, mood changes, etc.
Causes of Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea can affect people of all ages, but some are more likely to experience it.
These are common risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea, where the muscles in the back of the throat relax, leading to breathing cessation:
- Being overweight
- Having a thicker neck
- Drinking lots of alcohol
- Using sedatives or tranquilizers
- Being older
- Smoking
- Certain medical conditions, like type 2 diabetes,
There is also central sleep apnea, where the brain fails to send signals to the breathing muscles. This type of sleep apnea is rare, but it’s known that older men are more at risk for it.
Using narcotics, dealing with heart disorders, or having a stroke may also lead to central sleep apnea.
How Night Guards Can Help Sleep Apnea
Night guards (also called mouth guards) are a common method to control sleep apnea, especially for people with mild cases.
This oral appliance holds your jaw in the correct position to prevent airway obstructions while sleeping. This way, you won’t stop breathing while wearing the mouth guard.
While it can seem uncomfortable, these night guards are custom-made to fit your mouth and ensure proper jaw placement. This also makes the appliance much more pleasant to wear than any over-the-counter solutions you might find online.
Where Do You Get a Mouthguard for Sleep Apnea?
The most convenient place to get an oral appliance for sleep apnea is right at the dentist’s office! Though they cannot diagnose the condition, many dentists offer great sleep apnea treatments.
To get a proper diagnosis, you will need to see a sleep specialist. A Burbank dentist may provide some at-home sleep tests to help you learn if a sleep disorder could be affecting your rest, but it’s still recommended to see a specialist for an official diagnosis.
How Burbank Dental & Sleep Can Help
Have you recently been diagnosed with sleep apnea or are you wondering if it’s affecting your rest? Dr. Jessica Singh can help with at-home sleep tests and custom mouth guards to protect your sleep and overall health.
Schedule a consultation at Burbank Dental & Sleep online or call us at (818) 842-0709.
