Sleep Apnea Irvine, CA - Sleep Disorder Treatment
Do you or a family member snore while sleeping or suffer from chronic fatigue caused by nights of interrupted sleep? These may be symptoms of sleep apnea. Sleep Apnea treatment for our Irvine patients can alleviate these episodes. At Heritage Family Dental, Dr. Gregory Clibon and Dr. Chris Herring provide a comprehensive solution to treating this sleep disorder using dental appliances that help patients finally achieve a full night's rest. In fact, Dr. Clibon and Dr. Herring are two of the few dentists certified to treat sleep apnea in the Irvine area. We encourage you to watch the video below and contact us if you are experiencing any of these symptoms.
Sleep apnea is a potentially life-threatening sleep disorder characterized by repeated pauses in breathing during sleep. The term sleep apnea is derived from the Greek etymology meaning “without breath”. Breathing pauses can last anywhere from several seconds to minutes, and happen as often as 30 times or more per hour. Ongoing disrupted breathing causes an imbalance between the carbon dioxide and oxygen levels in the bloodstream, as not enough carbon dioxide is exiting and not enough oxygen is entering the body.
Sensing this imbalance, the brain sends a message to the body, telling it to wake up to restart breathing the process. People with sleep apnea will partially awake as they struggle to breathe, and this is often accompanied by loud snoring or choking sensations. Because people with sleep apnea don’t always completely awake during the episodes, they are often unaware they have a sleeping disorder and it can remain undiagnosed.
There are two main types of this disorder; central sleep apnea which occurs when the brain fails to send important signals to the breathing muscles, and obstructive sleep apnea which occurs when air cannot flow through the nose or mouth even though the body is still trying to breathe. Obstructive sleep apnea is far more prevalent and can be treated by the dentist, in many cases.
Common signs of obstructive sleep apnea can include severe early morning headaches, sleepiness in the daytime, nighttime teeth grinding, ADHD, night terrors, and mouth breathing. Many of these symptoms are caused by underdeveloped jaws. Fortunately, the dentist is equipped with the necessary technology and expertise to treat sleep apnea or Upper Airway Resistance in several different ways.
Reason for treating sleep apnea
It is very important to seek medical attention if sleep apnea is suspected. A sufferer can completely stop numerous times per hour, and this can quickly turn into a deadly situation. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when the soft tissue lying at the back of the patient’s throat collapses into the airway. The tongue then falls towards the back of the throat which tightens the blockage and prevents oxygen from entering the lungs.
The problem worsens when the chest region, diaphragm, and abdomen fight for air. The efforts they make to obtain vital oxygen only cause a further tightening of the blockage. The patient must arouse from deep sleep to tense the tongue and remove the soft tissue from the airway.
Because sleep apnea causes carbon dioxide levels to skyrocket in the blood and oxygen levels to decrease, the heart has to pump harder and faster to compensate for the lack of oxygen. Sleep apnea has been linked to a series of serious heart-related conditions, and should be investigated by the dentist at the earliest opportunity.
What does sleep apnea treatment involve?
At the Heritage Family Dental, we offer sleep apnea screening and treatment near you using special oral appliances by Vivos Therapeutics. They are not only comfortable to wear but also treat the underlying cause.
Initially, the dentist will want to conduct tests in order to investigate, diagnose, and pinpoint a suitable treatment. The dentist can offer many different treatment options which depend largely on the exact diagnosis and the health of the patient. The dentist may advise the patient to halt some habits that aggravate sleep apnea such as alcohol consumption and the use of handheld devices before bed.
Sleeping masks or CPAPs were traditionally used to keep the patient’s airways open while they slept, but nowadays there are some less intrusive options. Dental devices that gently tease the lower jaw forward are very effective in preventing the tongue from blocking the main air passage. These dental devices are gentle, easy to wear, and often help patients avoid unwanted surgeries.
A more permanent solution is to have surgery that sections the lower jaw and helps pull the bone holding the tongue forward slightly. This surgery has an impressive success rate and is simple for the dentist or oral surgeon to perform. The dentist needs to formally make a diagnosis of each individual case before recommending the best course of action.
Contact Our Irvine Sleep Apnea Professionals
If you are searching for an experienced Irvine sleep apnea dentist, please contact us to schedule an appointment with our skilled dental team.